The parameters that affect the supercritical extraction OF 2,4,6- trichloroanisol from cork

Abstract

The contamination of wine by 2,4,6-trichloroanisol (TCA) derived from the cork stopper is a huge problem for the wine industry. This work shows the results of TCA extraction using supercritical CO2. Cork granules (6% moisture) were placed forming a fixed bed within a high-pressure vessel. The CO2 was made to continuously flow over this. The TCA removal was compared at different operating conditions (pressure, temperature, flow rate or extraction time). TCA removal was not possible in dried cork. Density had a positive impact in TCA removal due to the solvent capacity increase. An increase in the supercritical fluid temperature over 60 °C impaired the TCA extraction. High residence times benefited the extraction. At high CO2 density of 585 kg m−3 , TCA elimination below the detection level was achieved in 8 min residence time. This required relatively low solvent to cork mass ratios (43 kg CO2 kg−1 ).