Event Preview: SFC/SFE Japan 2026

SFC/SFE Japan 2026—the 20th International Conference on Packed Column Supercritical Fluid Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid Extraction and Related Techniques—will be held in Tokyo, Japan, May 18–19, 2026.

Chromatographers worldwide can look forward to SFC/SFE Japan 2026—the 20th International Conference on Packed Column Supercritical Fluid Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid Extraction and Related Techniques—to be held May 18–19, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan. The conference has been held annually in the USA, Europe, or Asia over the last two decades. Tokyo, Japan, has been selected as this year’s site because of its location, ease of access, and excellent accommodations. An attendee from SFC 2024 stated: “As ever, the meeting was informative and an excellent opportunity for supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) users to exchange ideas and experiences. I look forward to attending many more.”

The conference will be co-organized by the Green Chemistry Group, the Supercritical Fluid Division of the Japanese Society of Chemical Engineers, and the Japan Society of Supercritical Fluid Chromatography. The topic areas covered in the conference have been expanded to include not only supercritical fluid chromatography and extraction, but also broader processes involving supercritical fluids and hydrothermal treatment.

The conference will consist of two days of oral and poster presentations. Invited speakers include: Takeshi Bamba (Kyushu University), Yuya Murakami (Shizuoka University), Takumi Ono (AIST - National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology), Zhengjin Jiang (Jinan University), Kevin Schug (University of Texas at Arlington), and Caroline West (University of Orleans). Further speakers from industry and academia, poster sessions, and workshops will fill out the balance of the two-day program.

The advantages of SFC are well known to those in pharmaceutical research and development. Indeed, many of the presentations will be focused on pharmaceuticals and the biological applications of lipidomics. However, presentation topics will range far beyond pharmaceuticals to fundamental studies of SFC, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), processes involving supercritical fluids and hydrotreatment, and on to environmental analysis, flavors and fragrances, doping analysis, personal care products, food and beverage analysis, natural products, and forensic science. In fact, another attendee of SFC 2024 stated, “Great that the conference program includes many areas …, not just pharmaceutical.”

In addition to scientific content, SFC/SFE Japan 2026 will also include social events where attendees can rub elbows with leading experts in the field. Attendees will also enjoy vendor exhibits and workshops where they will learn about the latest advances in SFC and SFE equipment and SFC stationary phases.

Why should you attend SFC/SFE Japan 2026? You’ll visit with separation and engineering scientists who have adopted supercritical fluids in a wide range of application areas, not only because of environmental and cost-saving advantages, but also because supercritical fluids provide fundamental advantages over conventional fluids. For example, the lower viscosities and higher diffusion coefficients of supercritical fluids in SFC allow more rapid separations at equivalent theoretical plates and/or longer columns (higher resolutions) in equivalent separation times. SFC also provides dramatically different selectivities compared to reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Finally, removing the solvent in preparative SFC separations and in supercritical processes is far easier than in conventional processes. These advantages have led to the worldwide adoption of supercritical fluid processes.

Abstract submission is now open and will close on February 15, 2026. All conference information, including abstract submission, venue information, and accommodations, can be found at Summary - SFC Japan 2026.