Chemistry
Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as a Green Solvent in Extraction
Quick fact
Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) is used to decaffeinate coffee, extracting up to 97% of the caffeine without leaving harmful solvent residues, all while being non-flammable, non-toxic, and easily recycled.
Why this is interesting
You've likely sipped coffee that was decaffeinated without chemical solvents. How can a single substance be both a liquid and a gas at once, and effectively pull out caffeine?