for practicing the invention in which 31 39 are valves 31 33 are check valves 40 42 are filters 43 is a pressure gauge and 44 45 are thermal couples it should be noted that apparatus other than that shown in fig3 can be used to practice the invention in the system of fig3 liquid carbon dioxide from cylinder 11 is fed through water absorber 12 to cooling coil 13 which decreases the temperature of the liquid carbon dioxide water absorber 12 is a column filled up with molecular sieves which absorbs moisture in the liquid carbon dioxide the cooled carbon dioxide is then passed through pump 14 which raises the pressure of the carbon dioxide the pressure is maintained at a setting value by back pressure regulator 15 when the system pressure is greater than the setting value the carbon dioxide is drawn back through back pressure regulator 15 to water absorber 12 the carbon dioxide is then passed through oven 10 where it is heated above its critical temperature the supercritical carbon dioxide then enters extraction vessel 16 which has been previously loaded with fibers which are to be scoured extraction vessel 16 is made of stainless steel and has a capacity of about 22 ml as shown in the fig vessel 16 is enclosed in oven 10 to maintain the temperature of the carbon dioxide above its critical temperature as the supercritical carbon dioxide passes through vessel 16 it extracts oil agents from the fibers the supercritical carbon dioxide with.