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Lab Trends

Are You in the Market for an... Evaporator?

Evaporators have for decades been staples in labs and industries performing chemistry, including labs in the chemical, environmental, materials, life science, and forensics industries. Key applications include sample concentration, solvent recycling, extractions, and separation of solvent mixtures.  Brought to you by:    

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Top 5 Questions You Should Ask When Buying an Evaporator

  1. What are your sample sizes? Microtiter plates and micro centrifuge tubes work best in a centrifugal vacuum concentrator. For large samples up to 450mls, a vortex evaporator is recommended.
  2. What are your samples? Acids require an acid resistant system. Solvents damage plastic and rubber components; an appropriate system to prevent damage is recommended. A -50°C cold trap is ideal for aqueous based samples, a -85°C cold trap traps most solvents and a -105°C cold trap is recommended for alcohols.
  3. Are your samples heat sensitive? Even at ambient set point, vacuum concentrators add heat through friction. A concentrator that has refrigeration built into it will give you the temperature control recommended to maintain the viability of heat liable samples.
  4. Do you have limited space? A floor model with casters or small all-in-one benchtop model can be moved out of the way when not in use.
  5. Do you prefer vacuum evaporation or nitrogen blow down? Some samples require evaporation under nitrogen (which is more gentle) for volatile solvents.

Types of laboratory evaporators used by survey respondents:

Rotary evaporators 65%
Vortex evaporators 7%
Nitrogen blowndown evaporator 23%
Vacuum system evaporator 42%
Other 2%

Primary purpose of evaporator as reported by survey respondents:

Concentration of substances 67%
Sample preparation 47%
Extractions 30%
Distilling of low-boiling solvents 23%
Distilling of temperature-sensitive substances under vacuum 16%
Recycling of solvent waste 12%
Distilling of oxygen-sensitive substances under inert gas 2%
Chemical synthesis under reflux 2%
Other 2%

Nearly 47% of respondents are engaged in purchasing a new evaporator. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:

Replacement of aging system
38%
 
Addition to existing systems, increase capacity
31%
Setting up a new lab
8%
First time purchase
19%
Other
4%

Top 10 Features/Factors Respondents Look for When Purchasing Evaporator:

Safety 83%
Reliability 81%
Ease of use 65%
Low maintenance / easy to clean 65%
Price 62%
Low operating cost of ownership 48%
Ease of installation 44%
Fully integrated - The evaporator, the vaccuum pump, the vacuum controller, and the recirculating chiller 40%
Built-in vacuum controller 39%
Service and support 37%

For more information on evaporators, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/evaporators

See the most recent survey results