It is well known that water has three states in common conditions: solid, liquid and gaseous. But, in specific conditions of temperature & pressure, there is the opportunity to reach a fourth one : the supercritical. Under this conditions, water is a liquid, has a density 10 times lower than usual and its properties are comparable to those of gas. Supercritical water bacomes a unique solvent with exceptional physics and chemical properties, facilitating reactions that would otherwise be difficult or even impossible to achieve under conventional conditions.

A powerful tool for clean material synthesis and recovery

This type of process enables:

• the synthesis of innovative materials (nanopowders, ceramics, oxides, etc.) with excellent control of morphology and purity,
• faster and more efficient reactions thanks to improved reactant solubility,
• the reduction or even elimination of harmful organic solvents, thereby limiting the environmental impact of the processes.

Concrete applications for the environment

Subcritical and supercritical water based processes play a key role in several areas related to the ecological transition:

• Ricovery of Metal & Organic industrial wastes
• Treatment and decontamination of complex residues (PFAs),
• Synthesis of materials for energy storage, catalysts and CO₂ capture.