Particle formation with supercritical fluids-a review

The rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) is a new and promising method of particle formation. The distinguishing features of this process are the fast attainment of uniform conditions and of high supersaturations in the carrier fluid, which favor the formation of small, monodisperse particles. The technique has been applied to inorganic, organic, pharmaceutical, and polymeric materials. RESS can be used to comminute shock-sensitive solids, to produce intimate mixtures of amorphous materials, to form polymeric microspheres, and to deposit thin films. In this paper, we discuss the fundamentals, experimental methods, applications, and available results from studies of particle formation with supercritical solutions.