US 7,520,938 B2
Method for high-pressure processing
Yoshihiko Sakashita, Takasago (Japan); Takahiko Ishii, Takasago (Japan); Masahiro Yamagata, Takasago (Japan); and Tetsuya Yoshikawa, Takasago (Japan)
Assigned to Kobe Steel, Ltd., Kobe-shi (Japan)
Filed on Aug. 11, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/915,320.
Claims priority of application No. 2003-292924 (JP), filed on Aug. 13, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0051194 A1, Mar. 10, 2005
Int. Cl. B08B 5/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 134—21 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for high-pressure processing, comprising:
a high-pressure processing step of processing an object under a high pressure by bringing at least a high-pressure fluid into contact with the object in a high-pressure processing chamber under the high pressure;
a displacement step, performed subsequent to the high-pressure processing step, of replacing the high-pressure fluid in the high-pressure processing chamber with a supercritical fluid; and
a depressurizing step of decreasing the pressure of the supercritical fluid in the high-pressure processing chamber to atmospheric pressure, wherein the depressurizing step includes a substep in which the pressure in the high-pressure processing chamber is maintained substantially constant to suppress or recover a temperature descent caused by an adiabatic expansion during the depressurizing step, and wherein the temperature in the chamber during the depressurizing step is controlled to be maintained above a temperature achieved by an adiabatic expansion, the adiabatic expansion starting from the pressure and temperature at the end of the high-pressure processing step, wherein the temperature in the chamber during the displacement step and the depressurizing step does not exceed the temperature at the end of the high-pressure processing step.