Patent ID: 8282840

Claim:
An industrial method of removing cutting oil from tool steel swarf in an extraction vessel, said method comprising the steps of: (a) opening said extraction vessel and loading said tool steel swarf into said extraction vessel; (b) closing said extraction vessel to seal said tool steel swarf therein; (c) removing a substantial portion of said cutting oil from said tool steel swarf by flowing a sufficient quantity of supercritical carbon dioxide through said tool steel swarf for a period of time sufficient to remove a substantial portion of said cutting oil from said tool steel swarf, and at a temperature sufficient to remove a substantial portion of said cutting oil from said tool steel swarf, and at a pressure of about 8700 PSI and at a temperature of about eighty degrees Celsius or greater; (d) separating said tool steel swarf from said supercritical carbon dioxide containing cutting oil; and (e) opening said extraction vessel and removing said tool steel swarf from said extraction vessel.