High pressure CO₂ technology has several technical and environmental advantages and the products have health benefits compared to conventional processes.

We believe these advantages should be utilized in as many industrial applications as possible. 

Our strengths

Ideas of our customers and results from research projects are tested in our lab unit (5 liters/1000 bar), pilot plant (80 liters/550 bar), thin film extractor or liquid-liquid column. Then scale-up is carried out to determine yields and process parameters for industrial operation. In certain cases tests in existing large scale plants can be provided on a toll processing basis.

During this procedure also economical aspects are investigated, so that investment and operating costs can be optimized. In this way first applications worldwide are created through product and process development in close cooperation with the customers.

Further steps in the realization process are engineering, design of components, construction and manufacturing. Installation, commissioning and training of operating personnel complete our services as a one-stop-shop.

For well-known applications standardized R&D units and commercial supercritical fluid extraction plants are available. Our product range also includes powder generation plants which are offered as customized units.

Design highlights of NATEX plants:

• Death space free instrumentation for easy cleaning 
• Industrial automation & control system (repeatable and safe operation)
• Automatic lifting and pivoting of extractor closure
• Inside surface of extractors and separators designed for easy cleaning
• Safety design according to project specific HAZOP study with notified body
• CE certificate of conformity for complete plant
• Lifetime design & calculation for cyclic load (designed for 40.000 extraction cycles)

Customers benefits from working with us

• We have focused on Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE)-Technology since 1985, all resources and know-how in development and research are concentrated on this technology.

• Many industrial scale key-projects for new applications of SFE-technology were realized by us:
  • First decaffeination plant for tea worldwide
  • First decaffeination plant with continuous caffeine recovery worldwide
  • First rice treatment plant worldwide
  • First horizontal SFE-extractor with quick-acting closure worldwide
  • First industrial scale edible oil extraction plant
  • First Cork treatment plant worldwide

• The key-advantage is the combination of product-, process- and design-know-how in the special field of supercritical fluid technology. This experience is gained from:
  • scale up and realization of industrial scale plants for more than 20 years
  • own facilities, specially designed for process development and scale up

• We own four different sizes of lab scale equipment, starting from 200 ml up to 80 liter for R&D. No tests for customers have to be ordered from third parties – tests for customers can be kept confidential.

• Customers can join all test-runs with their special product. We offer product and process development in cooperation, if desired.

• We are using an industrially proven control system, especially adapted for the requirements of the high-pressure batch process with CO₂. The programming is developed and executed only by us, no third parties are involved.

• We performed more than 1000 test runs with hundreds of different materials for the food-, cosmetics-, chemical- and pharmaceutical industry.

• HP equipment is manufactured by Natex affiliated company Innoweld (Austria) according to optimized design.

The manufacturing process

Engineering services provided by us are complemented by the manufacturing abilities of Innoweld Metallverarbeitung GmbH, a company specialized in the supply of high pressure apparatus, components and fittings for industrial scale plants according to all main international norms and standards.

Turn-key projects can be realized to the full satisfaction of the customers as a result of the combined efforts of two specialized companies.