Preliminary Study on the Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Nicotine from Tobacco Wastes

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the supercritical extraction of dry tobacco powder using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) as solvent. The experiments were conducted between 15–30 MPa and 50–70°C. The extract obtained was a waxy-like material rich in aroma that contained a low percentage of nicotine. The nicotine content in the solid matrix decreased slightly from 10 to 57% at the best conditions. Further experiments of nicotine extraction from aqueous solutions using SC—CO2 as solvent were performed. The recovery of the alkaloid was also low at the operating conditions analyzed. KEYWORDS:: Supercritical extractionTobacco wastesNicotineCarbon dioxide extraction