What is "rotary evaporator"

Evaporator \E*vap"o*ra`tor\, n.

1. An apparatus for condensing vegetable juices, or for drying fruit by heat.

2. Any device designed to evaporate a fluid.

3. Specifically: The portion of a refrigeration system in which the refrigerant evaporates and thus absorbs heat.

   rotary evaporator (Chem.) a device used in laboratories in which a liquid is evaporated by reducing the pressure and applying heat, while rotating the liquid in a vessel such as a round-bottomed flask. The reduced pressure speeds the evaporation process and allows the evaporation to be conducted at temperatures lower than would otgherwise be possible, thus reducing decomposition of unstable substances. The rotation also serves to increase the surface area from which evaporation takes place and to reduce the effect of "bumping", the sudden burst of vaporization that can scatter liquid exposed to reduced pressure.

n. (context chemistry biochemistry English) A piece of laboratory equipment used to gently evaporate solvents from a chemical solution in a temperature controlled environment.

A 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. Other common evaporator brands are KNF, Heidolph, LabTech, Stuart, Hydrion Scientific, SENCO, IKA and EYELA. 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.