Aplikasi Teknologi Air Subkritis untuk Formasi Partikel

Abstract

Subcritical water (SBCW) refers to pressurized water having temperature between its boiling and critical points (100 – 374^oC). Application of SBCW technology has been developed for various processing schemes, in particular reaction and separation. In particle formation, vast property of SBCW, especially its solvent power elasticity has been exploited to process organic and inorganic materials.The main advantage of SBCW technology for particle formation is its apparent power to dissolve hydrophobic solid materials. Upon rapid contact of SBCW with non-solvent medium - commonly developed from another aqueous based solution- supersaturation leading to particle formation can be obtained.  As a consequence, overall particles properties can be modified. In this article, a brief review of the SBCW technology to process micro- or nano-scale materials is presented. Processing of therapeutic agent of quinolone (antibacterial) is discussed to represent SBCW application for organic chemicals. Quinolone processing at pressurized water up to 200^oC has successfully obtained 50 – 60 nm particle size with improved release profile. In another application, SBCW processing at 200-275 bar and 200-300^oC has produced particles of lithium – ion battery with various kind of morphologies, in the absence of additives or any other modifiers.