Dry-cleaning with high-pressure carbon dioxide—the influence of process conditions and various co-solvents (alcohols) on cleaning-results

The influence of the process conditions time and temperature on dry-cleaning results with CO2 has been examined in a 25 l vessel. The optimal cleaning-time lay between 5 and 20 min. There was not one optimal cleaning temperature; therefore, it is considered to perform the process at room temperature (no use of heating or cooling during the process). For most soils, the use of a co-solvent caused a substantial increase in their removal. Of the co-solvents investigated, 2-propanol was the most suitable.