Illustration of a freeze dryer

Credit: Lab Manager

Purchasing Guide: Freeze Dryers

Freeze dryers are used to preserve food, extend the shelf of pharmaceutical products and vaccines, and more via the process of sublimation

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Freeze dryers are used to preserve food, extend the shelf of pharmaceutical products and vaccines, and more via the process of sublimation. During sublimation, a sample’s solvent turns from a solid directly into a gas, thus skipping the liquid stage and leaving the molecular structure of the sample intact. The sample can later be reconstituted simply by adding water. There are several types of freeze dryers to choose from, all of which are suited for different tasks. For a list of freeze dryer/lyophilizer manufacturers, see our online directory: LabManager.com/freeze-dryer-manufacturers

6 Questions to Ask When Buying a Freeze Dryer:

  1. What collection capacity will your samples need?
  2. How acidic will your solvents be?
  3. Do you need a shell bath for pre-freezing?
  4. Should you get a flask or tray freeze dryer?
  5. Do you need shelf stoppering capabilities?
  6. Will you be using your freeze dryer for routine processing or to develop new recipes?

Pre-Owned Freeze Dryers

It’s entirely possible to scale your lab’s freeze-drying processes from recipe development to pilot-scale production with only used equipment, saving you tens of thousands of dollars with minimal risk. However, there are some important factors to keep in mind when shopping used freeze dryers for recipe development and production. Learn more at LabManager.com/used-freeze-dryers

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Calibrating Freeze Dryer Sensors

Regardless of application, be sure to calibrate freeze dryer temperature and pressure sensors regularly. The frequency at which they should be calibrated will depend on the application it’s being used for, with research purposes requiring less frequent calibrations than GMP-certified, production processes.

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