Here is the truth:
Rotary evaporator is a useful instrument in pharma industry.
Rotary evaporator is one of the indispensable experimental instruments for drug extraction.
So how to use it in pharma manufacturing process?
Here we list the main steps for reference.
Make Rotary Evaporator Inspection Before Use
Check whether the rotary evaporator has the clean sign and the equipment intact sign.
if there is no clean sign or if the equipment is out of service, the rotary evaporator must not be used.
Check whether the rubber tube used for vacuuming is aging: check whether all the dosing cocks are closed.
Use of Rotary Evaporator
Use the water bath lifting handwheel to lower the water bath, install the evaporating flask, and then use the water bath lifting handwheel to raise the water bath.
Turn on the condensed water, open the vacuum pump valve, and check whether the index of the vacuum gauge is within the specified range.
Rotating the material and turn the cock into an open state.
Use a rubber tube to pump in the material liquid and you shoud note the amount of material liquid should not exceed half of the capacity of the rotary evaporation bottle.
After the material is pumped, close the material extraction port.
Adjust the bath to an appropriate height, usually by rotating the bottle immerse 1/2~1/3 is appropriate.
The height of the water (oil) bath can balance the weight of the rotating bottle with buoyancy.
Press the rotation start button to start the rotation and adjust the knob from slow to fast.
Adjust the temperature to the required temperature.
Rotate the valve of the large collection bottle & the condenser connected to the large collection bottle, so that the evaporated solvent flows into the bottle.
When the large collection bottle is almost full, close the compound valve and open the small collection bottle.
The compound valve of the collection bottle connects the condenser with another small collection bottle.
At the same time, open the auxiliary valve in the compound valve on the large collection bottle.
After the large collection bottle is emptied, open the rotary evaporator discharge valve and release the collection liquid.
Large and small collection bottles can be used alternately to ensure continuous operation.
The rotary evaporator can be continuously fed through rotating the feeding cock to open it and pump it in with a rubber tube.
After the evaporation is completed, turn off the heating key and vacuum pump.
Use the water bath lifting handwheel to lower the water bath and remove the rotary bottle, or pass the PTFE tube through the small hole on the distillation bottle.
Use negative pressure to suck the solution in it out and avoid frequent disassembly of the rotating bottle.
Rotary Evaporator Cleaning
After using the rotary evaporator, wipe the interface of the rotary evaporator with purified water with a clean cloth.
According to the evaporator operation procedure, rinse the rotary evaporator with water repeatedly until there is no residue and use a suction bottle to extract the residual liquid in the evaporation bottle.
Turn off the vacuum and scrub the outside of the rotary evaporator clean with purified water.
Seal all the mouths with plastic bags, hang up the cleaning signs, and set aside.
If rotary evaporator is found damaged or malfunctioning, you should immediately notify the maintenance personnel to replace it.