The report gives results of a program to develop a sound fundamental technical base for supercritical-fluid regeneration of activated carbon applied to adsorption of volatile organic compounds. The process is based on using a supercritical fluid to desorb granular activated carbon containing adsorbed vapor contaminants. The desorption is at high pressure, and is followed by distillation of the fluid/adsorbate mixture at subcritical conditions for removing contaminants and recovering fluid solvent for recycle. Key unit operations characterized were (1) desorption from the carbon bed, and (2) distillation of the solvent/adsorbate solution. The process was characterized for both leaded and unleaded gasoline vapors, representing contaminants from gasoline storage and distribution facilities; and for ethanol and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) vapors, representing many solvent finishing operations.