Distilling is a thermal separation process performed on a mixture of various different substances. The requirement for a distilling process varies due to the composition of the substances to be distilled and the various boiling points. First, the substance to be distilled is heated in a flask and brought to its boiling point. The resulting steam then condenses on a cooler and drips into a separate collecting vessel.
In chemical labs, rotary evaporators are often used for distilling. A system consists of a drive, support device, heating bath, vacuum pump, and sometimes a vacuum controller and circulation cooler. Rotary Evaporators offer the following advantages compared to conventional distilling devices:
- Better warmth transfer
- Quicker heating
- Increase in distilling speed
- Avoidance of boiling delays
- Avoidance of overheating
- Gentle distilling under vacuum
Due to its modular set-up, a rotary evaporator can be used for a multitude of applications:
- Recycling of solvent waste
- Extractions
- Concentration of substances
- Drying of powders
- Separation of material mixtures
- Distilling of low-boiling solvents
- Distilling of temperature-sensitive substances under vacuum
- Distilling of oxygen-sensitive substances under inert gas
- Chemical synthesis under reflux
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