Applications of Supercritical Carbon dioxide in Textile Finishing: A Review

Abstract

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) impregnation is growing in popularity due to its unique characteristics such as high diffusivity, low surface tension, and simplicity of solvent removal at the end of the process. Furthermore, scCO2 is the most environmentally friendly solvent, with several advantages over traditional aqueous and solvent-based procedures. ScCO2 impregnation has a wide range of uses, mostly for incorporating various active principles into a polymeric matrix, such as medicines, functional finishing agents, dyes, and other agents. This study reviews some previous investigations on the use of scCO2 as an impregnation medium in the development of various functional materials, to stimulate additional research into the use of scCO2 in textile finishing.