Process and device for treating textile substrates with supercritical fluid

An apparatus for treating a textile substrate with a supercritical fluid, comprising:

• at least one autoclave for receiving the textile substrate;
• at least one saturator for loading the fluid with an active ingredient;
• at least one separator;
• a relief valve arranged upstream of the at least one separator;
• a heat exchanger with an associated heating-cooling device;
• a condensator with an associated cooling device;
• a collector arranged downstream of the condensator;
• a pump;
• first closed conduit means for communicating an outlet of the autoclave with an inlet of the autoclave and including a first section communicating the autoclave directly with the pump, a second section communicating the pump with the heat exchanger, and a third section communicating the heat exchanger with the autoclave, the third section having a first branch communicating the heat exchanger directly with the autoclave, a second branch communicating the heat exchanger with the saturator, and a third branch communicating the saturator with the autoclave;
• first valve means for controlling flow of fluid through the first, second and third sections of the first conduit means:
• second conduit means for communicating the autoclave with the pump and including a first section communicating the autoclave with the relief valve, a second section communicating the relief valve with the separator, a third section communicating the separator with the condensator, a fourth section communicating the condensator with collector, and a fifth section communicating the collector with the pump;
• second valve means for controlling flow of fluid through the second conduit means;
• means for measuring temperatures in the autoclave;
• and
• control means for controlling operation of the heat exchanger in accordance with a temperature measured by the measuring means in accordance with set/input and stored time functions.