DECAFFEINATION OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTS

摘要

Green coffee is decaffeinated in a continuous economical process without organic solvent. Caffeine is extracted from a solution of green coffee solubles with supercritical carbon dioxide in an extraction column (1) under specified conditions. At a pressure above 330 bar and a temperature of 80 to 100 DEG C, the concentration of the green coffee extract in the column (1) is maintained within the range of 18 to 30 percent dissolved solids. A sieve plate extraction column is modified by placing porous mesh (13) above each plate (6) to break foam and permit operation at an economic throughput rate.