ZOO101 Final Term Slides

Rotary evaporator for extraction

• Rotary evaporator (or rotavap/rotovap) is a device used in chemical laboratories for the efficient and gentle removal of solvents from samples by evaporation.
• When referenced in the chemistry research literature, description of the use of this technique and equipment may include the phrase "rotary evaporator", though use is often rather signaled by other language (e.g., "the sample was evaporated under reduced pressure").
• Rotary evaporators are also used in molecular cooking for the preparation of distillates and extracts.
• A simple rotary evaporator system was invented by Lyman C. Craig. It was first commercialized by the Swiss company Büchi in 1957. In research the most common form is the 1L bench-top unit, whereas large scale (e.g., 20L-50L) versions are used in pilot plants in commercial chemical operations.

Design

The main components of a rotary evaporator are:

• A motor unit that rotates the evaporation flask or vial containing the user's sample.
• A vapor duct that is the axis for sample rotation, and is a vacuum-tight conduit for the vapor being drawn off the sample.
• A vacuum system, to substantially reduce the pressure within the evaporator system.
• A heated fluid bath (generally water) to heat the sample.
• A condenser with either a coil passing coolant, or a "cold finger" into which coolant mixtures such as dry ice and acetone are placed.
• A condensate-collecting flask at the bottom of the condenser, to catch the distilling solvent after it re-condenses.
• A mechanical or motorized mechanism to quickly lift the evaporation flask from the heating bath.
• The vacuum system used with rotary evaporators can be as simple as a water

aspirator with a trap immersed in a cold bath (for non-toxic solvents), or as complex as a regulated mechanical vacuum pump with refrigerated trap.

• Glassware used in the vapor stream and condenser can be simple or complex,

depending upon the goals of the evaporation, and any propensities the dissolved compounds might give to the mixture (e.g., to foam or "bump").

• Commercial instruments are available that include the basic features, and

various traps are manufactured to insert between the evaporation flask and the vapor duct.

• Modern equipment often adds features such as digital control of vacuum, digital

display of temperature and rotational speed, and vapor temperature sensing