An experimental setup for separating ginger essential oil by supercritical fluid extraction is established. The effects of the extraction pressure, temperature, CO2 flow rate and particle size of raw material on the extraction rate are investigated, and the optimum process conditions of supercritical CO2 extraction are determined. A mathematical simulation model is established based on the mass conservation in differentia! units of extraction bed. The total mass transfer driving force and the equilibrium absorption constant are evaluated by the linear driving force theory. The results from numerical simulation agree well with the experimental data. An experimental setup for separating ginger essential oil by supercritical fluid extraction is established. The effects of the extraction pressure, temperature, CO2 flow rate and particle size of raw material on the extraction rate are investigated, and the optimum process conditions of supercritical CO2 extraction are determined. A mathematical simulation model is established based on the mass conservation in differentia! units of extraction bed. The total mass transfer driving force and the equilibrium absorption constant are evaluated by the linear driving force theory. The results from numerical simulation agree well with the experimental data.