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Purchasing Guide

Illustration of a rotary evaporator
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Purchasing Guide: Evaporators

Rotary evaporators are often used to remove low boiling organic solvents, and the addition of vacuum can lower the boiling point. Nitrogen evaporators apply a steady stream of nitrogen to remove moisture. Centrifugal evaporators, ideal for high-volume sample processing, use vacuum centrifugation to evaporate samples

by Lab Manager
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Evaporators remove water or organic solvents from samples for concentration, solvent recycling, or separating solvent mixtures. They are widely used in pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries, as well as many chemistry and life science laboratories. There are different types of evaporators. Rotary evaporators are often used to remove low boiling organic solvents, and the addition of vacuum can lower the boiling point. Nitrogen evaporators apply a steady stream of nitrogen to remove moisture. Centrifugal evaporators, ideal for high-volume sample processing, use vacuum centrifugation to evaporate samples. For a list of evaporator manufacturers, see our online directory: LabManager.com/evaporator-manufacturers

7 Questions to Ask When Buying an Evaporator:

  1. How much space is available? Is a compact benchtop model or a floor model a better fit for the space?
  2. Will it be used primarily for separation, cleaning, or concentrating? 
  3. Will you be working with heat-sensitive samples? Keep in mind a vacuum concentrator will add heat through friction.
  4. What type of samples will you be working with? A -50°C cold trap is ideal for aqueous samples, whereas most solvents require a -85°C cold trap, and -105°C is recommended for alcohols.
  5. What sample volumes will you be working with? Nitrogen blowdown is ideal for small sample volumes <50 ml.
  6. Will you be processing many samples at once? If so, a centrifugal evaporator may suit your needs best.
  7. What safety features are available?

Evaporation or Sublimation?

If you need to preserve your samples’ molecular structures, then you may want a lyophilizer instead of an evaporator. Check out our freeze dryer/lyophilizer purchasing guide for more information: LabManager.com/freeze-dryer-guide

eBook: Evaporator Resource Guide

Filled with buying questions, must-have features, usage tips, and more, our evaporator resource guide is the ideal resource for anyone looking to purchase an evaporator for their lab. Visit LabManager.com/evaporator-ebook to download the free eBook.