Multi-Step Process: Total Control Over Your Extract.

Instead of producing a single extract, multi-step extraction lets you obtain a range of distinct fractions from the same raw material, each with its own character, purpose, and value. The cycle is divided into separate sequential steps, up to five, and in every step you can independently adjust all process parameters: pressure, temperature, CO₂ flow rate, and duration.

This flexibility comes from the way supercritical CO₂ behaves as a solvent. By changing pressure and temperature, you change its density and therefore its selective solvent power. Milder conditions capture the lighter, more volatile compounds, essential oils and delicate aromatic notes. Higher densities dissolve the heavier molecules, waxes, resins, and high-molecular-weight compounds. Set the right conditions in each step, and you can separate these groups instead of collecting them all mixed together.

A single-pass extraction gives you one total extract, with every class of molecule blended together. Multi-step extraction gives you a series of  fractions, each with its own chemical and sensory profile. Capture a premium aromatic fraction in a gentle first step, then recover the richer active compounds and waxy components in later steps. The result is a portfolio of differentiated products from a single batch.

Higher product value

Well-defined, separate fractions are worth more than a single crude extract. Each one can be directed to a different application, cosmetics, flavors, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, with its own purity and composition specifications. The same charge of raw material delivers a whole range of outputs, making the most of every batch.

Adjusting every parameter step by step means you can build extraction recipes that are repeatable and optimized for each target. This is invaluable in R&D, where systematically exploring the effect of pressure, temperature, flow, and time lets you map how a material behaves and pinpoint the ideal conditions for each fraction you want.

By progressing through steps at increasingly severe conditions, you gradually exhaust the different extractable components, recovering even the fractions that a fixed single step would leave behind in the matrix. Less waste, higher overall yield.

One system, endless possibilities

This modularity makes the process remarkably versatile. The same equipment can produce very different products simply by changing the extraction program, no hardware modifications needed. With up to five independent steps, you can meet a wide variety of production needs, adapting the process to each material and target profile.

While the Semi-Continuous Process or Contuous Overlapping Process optimize the continuity and productivity of extraction, multi-step extraction adds a powerful qualitative and selective dimension. It turns extraction from a single-result operation into a true fractionation tool, designed to draw the maximum value, in every sense, from every batch of raw material.