Feasibility of using liquefied gas HFO-1234ze (trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene) as an alternative to conventional solvents for solid–liquid extraction of food ingredients and natural products

This study was designed to evaluate the applicability of a new liquefied gas, HFO-1234ze, as a safe alternative for the substitution of usual solvents such as n-hexane, acetone or ethanol, for the extraction of natural products. The performance of this new solvent was assessed using several plant materials: rapeseeds, carrots, olive leaves and rosemary leaves. An in-silico evaluation of the relative performance of each solvent was performed using Hansen solubility parameters and COSMO-RS model. Extraction experiments were also performed at laboratory scale on several plant materials, in order to determine qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the extracts. Finally, safety considerations, as well as energetic and environmental impacts using this new liquefied gas solvent were evaluated in a scale-up perspective.