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The origin of rotary evaporators can be traced back to the 1950s. Its birth is closely related to the rapid development of fields such as chemical synthesis and drug research and development. Scientists and laboratories urgently need a device that can efficiently, completely separate, and concentrate liquid samples when processing large amounts of samples, which led to the invention of the Shanghai Yetuo rotary evaporator.
Background and driving factors of origin
The growth of demand for scientific research and chemical engineering
With the rapid development of organic chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and materials science in the mid-20th century, a large number of chemical reactions require the separation and purification of products. Traditional distillation devices have low efficiency and require high temperatures, which can easily damage thermosensitive substances and cannot meet the requirements for rapid sample processing in laboratories. Therefore, a new type of equipment capable of evaporating and recovering solvents under low temperature conditions has become an urgent need.
The development of vacuum technology
Vacuum pump technology rapidly matured in the early 20th century, providing the possibility for the application of rotary evaporators. By reducing the pressure inside the container through a vacuum system, the boiling point of the solvent can be significantly lowered, allowing the solvent to evaporate at lower temperatures, thereby solving the problem of difficult handling of thermosensitive substances.
Progress in cooling technology
The improvement of condensing device technology provides support for the cooling system of rotary evaporators. The condensing device can cool and recover the evaporated solvent gas, improve solvent utilization, reduce experimental costs, and minimize environmental pollution.
Key milestones
1950s: The earliest design
Chemist Lyman C. Craig is considered one of the pioneers in the design concept of rotary evaporators. He designed a device that can form a thin film through rotation, thereby accelerating the evaporation rate and completing evaporation and condensation in a vacuum environment.
During this period, many laboratories also began to attempt to improve traditional distillation equipment.
1960s: The emergence of commercial rotary evaporators
The commercial rotary evaporator was invented by B ü chi from Ruishi in 1957. This marks the transition of the rotary evaporator from a laboratory concept to practical application. B ü chi's equipment has core components such as water bath heating, condenser tubes, and vacuum systems, laying the foundation for modern rotary evaporators.
This instrument was rapidly promoted to fields such as chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and food, becoming an indispensable tool in laboratories.
Late 20th century: Technological improvements and functional expansion
During the 1970s to 1990s, rotary evaporators gradually improved, such as adding digital temperature control, automatic lifting function, and an all protective design.
The design of the condenser tube has been improved from simple direct cooling to serpentine condensation, double condensation, etc., further improving efficiency.
The addition of electronic control technology has increased the accuracy of rotary evaporation and made the operation more convenient.
Naming of rotary evaporator
The name of the rotary evaporator comes from its core function - rotary evaporation.
Rotation function: By rotating the sample bottle, the solution forms a thin film on the bottle wall, increasing the evaporation area and accelerating the evaporation process.
Evaporation function: Reduce the boiling point in a vacuum environment, evaporate the solvent by heating, and recover the solvent using a condensation device.
The characteristic of evaporation and solvent recovery is the origin of its name.
The significance and impact of origin
Improve experimental efficiency
The invention of rotary evaporator significantly improved the efficiency of sample separation and solvent recovery in the laboratory, becoming one of the commonly used equipment in experimental chemistry.
Protect thermosensitive substances
By operating under low temperature and low pressure conditions, the rotary evaporator solves the problem of traditional distillation equipment damaging thermosensitive substances, greatly expanding the application scope of evaporation concentration.
Promote scientific progress
Its widespread use has driven the development of organic chemistry, pharmaceutical research and materials science, and has become an indispensable core equipment in laboratories.
summary
The rotary evaporator originated in the 1950s and was invented to meet the needs of solvent separation, purification, and recovery in laboratories. From its initial design to the current intelligent and digital instruments, it has undergone multiple technological innovations. Nowadays, rotary evaporators have become important equipment in various fields such as chemistry, pharmaceuticals, biology, and food, providing a comprehensive and reliable solution for experimental science.
