Rotary evaporator
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Rotary evaporator1.jpg A rotary evaporator is a device used in chemical and biochemical laboratories for the efficient and gentle evaporation of solvents. The main components of a rotary evaporator are a vacuum system, consisting of a vacuum pump and a controller, a rotating evaporation flask which can be heated in a heated fluid bath, and a condenser with a condensate collecting flask.
The system works because lowering the pressure lowers the boiling point of liquids and thus the solvent. This allows the solvent to be removed without excessive heating.
Rotary evaporator is highly effective at removing organic solvent during the extraction process but is not recommended for extraction that use water as a solvent due to the high temperature required.