Rotary evaporators, also known as rotovaps, are a common sight in most chemistry labs. Perhaps surprisingly, this familiar piece of equipment hasn’t changed much since it was first invented in the 1950s. Even though new models of rotary evaporators are developed each year by major manufacturers, the basic principles of operation have remained the same. Until now, that is. In this article, we take a look at how Ecodyst is revolutionizing the world of rotary evaporators; eliminating costly consumables while offering better performance, simpler operation and drastic reductions in lifetime costs.

Rotary Evaporators 101

The first rotary evaporation system in scientific literature was described in 1957 by researchers at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York.¹ These researchers placed a dilute solution in a round-bottomed flask over a heat source. This flask was connected to another round-bottomed flask, which was partially submerged in an ice bath. The two connected flasks were then evacuated using a vacuum pump and rotated about their axes for even heating and cooling.

Original schematic for a rotary evaporator (Anal. Chem. 22, 1462–1462 (1950))

 

By evenly heating the flask containing the dilute solution at reduced pressure, the researchers could easily evaporate the solvent from the solution, which was then condensed in the cooled glass condenser. This yielded a concentrated solution in the heated flask.

Early improvements to this original design included the use of a hot water bath rather than a burner, and the insertion of various traps between the evaporation flask and the condenser. It wasn’t long before the first commercial models were produced. Today, rotary evaporators are used at all scales, from benchtop research models (typically 1 L capacity) to larger models for pilot plants and commercial syntheses with capacities of hundreds of liters. New rotovap models often feature vapor temperature sensing and digital controls for vacuum pressure, temperature and rotational speed.

However, despite incremental changes over the last 60 years, the basic operating principles in today’s conventional rotary evaporators remain the same as they ever were.

Limitations of Conventional Rotary Evaporators

Despite their widespread use, conventional rotary evaporators suffer from some serious drawbacks, most of which can be attributed to the use of glass condensers.

Glass has traditionally been used in chemistry applications due to its low cost and resistance to most chemicals – these properties alone have made it the material of choice for the condensers in virtually all rotary evaporators. However, glass is far from ideal for this purpose: glass is a poor conductor of heat, so conventional rotary evaporators need to work harder to overcome the poor rate of heat exchange through glass condensers.

Other issues with conventional rotary evaporators include high operational costs, inefficient vapor trapping and time-consuming management of dry ice and solvent mixtures.

Revolutionizing the Rotary Evaporator

Ecodyst sought to overcome the limitations of conventional rotary condensers by rethinking several elements of its design, starting with the condenser. At the heart of an Ecodyst rotovap is a metal condenser coil coated with special chemical-resistant polymers. While simple, this change represents a paradigm shift in rotovap design and produces a number of significant advantages over traditional glass condensers.²

The metal condenser, featured in Ecodyst’s Ecochyll X1 condenser, not only offers much better thermal conductivity (and therefore more energy-efficient cooling) than glass, but is also highly durable and has a huge surface area, which allows for customization.

Crucially, the metal condenser is also strong enough to be connected directly to a pressurized refrigeration system. This means that the recirculating chiller needed glycol or water systems can be completely eliminated, saving maintenance and hardware costs as well as drastically reducing the amount of space taken up by the rotovap system.

A completely self-contained coolant circuit means that operating costs are drastically reduced compared to any other type of rotovap setup: the Ecochyll X1 means no need for dry ice, coolant or water. The only operating cost is the cost of the electricity required to power the device; which, thanks to its more efficient design, is around 50% of that required for a conventional glass condenser rotovap. Thanks to these substantial savings, the Ecochyll X1 typically pays for itself within 3-5 years of average use.

Ecodyst cooling technology not only offers cheaper and more efficient operation than competing systems, but also better performance: the efficient condenser reaches  in under a minute (compared to 45 minutes for conventional recirculating chillers) and offers much faster rates of evaporation than traditional rotovaps.

 

Ecodyst Rotovap Systems for the Lab

Ecodyst produces two benchtop systems for rotary evaporation: the Ecochyll X1 and the Hydrogen.

The Ecochyll X1 is a benchtop cooler/condenser engineered for best-in-class evaporation in lab environments where space is at a premium. Thanks to proprietary smart cooling technology, the Ecochyll X1 sets a new benchmark for reliability and efficiency.

The Hydrogen packs the same condenser technology into an all-in-one rotovap. Combining rotary evaporator and condenser into a single benchtop unit provides the same high performance as other Ecodyst products in a simple-to-use format with a footprint of only 1.8 square feet. Inbuilt digital controls offer precise management of all system parameters, while a remote function enables full PC control and data transfer for further processing.

Ecodyst now offers a full range of rotary evaporators, from 1L benchtop models like the Ecochyll X1 and Hydrogen through to the 200L Ecochyll X9 for process chemistry and commercial applications. Ecodyst’s unique cooling technology enables researchers and industrial chemists alike to move on from expensive and time-consuming management of dry ice and coolant systems, and reap the benefits of high-performance and low-cost extraction.

References and Further Reading

1. Craig, L. C., Gregory, J. D. & Hausmann, Werner. Versatile Laboratory Concentration Device. Anal. Chem. 22, 1462–1462 (1950).
2. How Ecodyst’s Modern Rotovap Revolutionizes Rotovap Technology. News-Medical.net https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210304/How-Ecodyste28099s-Modern-Rotovap-Revolutionizes-Rotovap-Technology.aspx (2021).

Rotary evaporator users will know that whilst evaporation via rotary evaporator is an efficient, gentle process that can remove solvents from a wide range of sample types, the equipment can be extremely costly.

Many users desire a budget rotary evaporator, however, it is important that these budget instruments do not compromise on the quality and are still fit for the intended use. This blog post will detail Ecodyst’s budget rotary evaporator and the benefits that come with it.

What Ecodyst Offers

Our budget rotary evaporator has been designed specifically to be cost-effective and extremely efficient. Ecodyst was the world’s first lab equipment manufacturer to use metallic condensers in evaporation and decarboxylation processes. Our budget rotary evaporator is based on the same metallic coil technology, featuring a single-coil inside a robust, space-friendly unit. The EcoChyll X5 has a 22L capacity whilst maintaining a small footprint.

Our innovative products have created a new standard for budget rotary evaporators, with superb cost-efficiency and reliability of results. This means that there is no need to compromise on quality for a lower cost.

A Budget Rotary Evaporator from a Reputable Company

Often, a budget rotary evaporator can be bought online for a relatively low cost from websites such as Amazon. However, these rotovaps rarely come with a warranty, and when they do it is challenging to get the manufacturer to fulfill it if they are overseas.

At Ecodyst, our innovative budget rotary evaporator has been designed on a foundation of personal experience with frustrating rotary evaporator designs. Despite being lower in cost, our budget rotary evaporator has been created with a commitment to radical improvement and solid craftsmanship. Ecodyst is committed to offering superb levels of service prior to, during, and after a sale.

Many budget rotary evaporator companies do not provide an aftercare service, so users cannot contact them if they encounter problems or have questions. Not only does Ecodyst provide professional on-site or virtual installation and training with the delivery of our budget rotary evaporator, but we are also available during business hours to help with any queries you may have.

It can be difficult to get replacement parts with other budget rotary evaporator manufacturers, however, at Ecodyst we are able to overnight replacement parts to our customers if necessary. Needing to replace parts can result in downtime that is ultimately costly to your business and that is why we are committed to assisting you as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Our budget rotary evaporator is designed with the consumer in mind and is easy to use and increases user efficiency. Contact us today to find out more.

Root Sciences and Ecodyst have joined forces to provide hi-speed evaporators to the market for solvent recovery in cannabinoid applications.

Solvent recovery is a common bottleneck in many cannabis processing operations. The unique line of products manufactured by Ecodyst provides single equipment solutions for solvent recovery, decarboxylation, and devolatilization to prepare crude oil for molecular distillation. Their proprietary condenser design enables Ecodyst’s units to be ready-to-use at a moment’s notice. In addition, the ability to fill, drain, and clean without disassembly makes Ecodyst’s systems the preferred solution across a range of scales.

“Prior to the state-of-the-art technology developed by Ecodyst, rotary evaporators were primarily designed using the same engineering concepts for over 60 years. Today, Ecodyst is widely recognized as the market leader in this area, and Root Sciences looks forward to providing their innovative solutions to the cannabis industry as a significant enhancement versus current systems.” -Forrest Didier, Chief Executive Officer, Root Sciences

“We are delighted to be working with Root Sciences. Their reputation for providing premium end-to-end equipment solutions is unmatched, and as Ecodyst continues to modernize the most effective and sought-after ecochyll evaporators on the market, we knew that Root Sciences would be the ideal partner for helping to expand our client base in the hemp and cannabis industries.” -George Adjabeng, Founder & CEO, Ecodyst Inc

About Root Sciences:
Root Sciences is the global leader in the distribution of premium technologies and support services for processing facilities in the hemp and cannabis industries. From large multi-state operators to small-batch craft businesses, Root Sciences provides clients with both premium equipment and consulting expertise to proficiently launch or expand their cannabis operation. For more information about Root Sciences, please visit http://www.rootsciences.com.

About Ecodyst:
Ecodyst is the innovative creator of the modern ecochyll evaporators. Ecodyst’s proprietary smart self-cooling technology revolutionized evaporation and increased efficiency and output while reducing operational costs, footprint, and labor requirements. Ecodyst’s disruptive technology set new standards for solvent recovery and decarboxylation in cannabis extraction. Ecodyst’s product line has a wide range of models, including benchtop systems for chemistry and high capacity industrial models for hemp and cannabis extraction. For information on Ecodyst, visit https://ecodyst.com.

The School of Physical Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences of the University of Cape Coast, has held a ceremony to unveil Rotovaps Laboratory equipment donated by Mr. George Adjabeng, an Alumnus of the School and Chief Executive Officer of Ecodyst, Inc.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh thanked the College for connecting and engaging with its alumni. She said “It is very important for us to reach out to other stakeholders to support us so that we can engage in our core business very well to develop the human manpower for the nation and beyond.” She expressed gratitude to Mr. Adjabeng saying, “On behalf of Management, I convey appreciation from the whole University to a son of this great institution.” She noted that it was rewarding and refreshing whenever the University receives presentations from alumni: “It tells us that we did a good job and the student remembers what we did to make him what he is today.” She took the opportunity to remind current students of the University to continue to keep their relationship with the institution after completion. She added that the equipment would be put to good use for the benefit of the students in the School. She further entreated faculty, students, and all who would use the equipment to take good care of it as a way of showing appreciation to the donor.

The Head of the Department of Chemistry, Prof. Victor Y. A. Barko, expressed profound appreciation to Mr. George Adjabeng for the donation and noted that the equipment would enhance research and lab work in the Department. Representing Mr. Adjabeng at the ceremony to donate the Laboratory equipment was Dr. Isaac Asiamah, also an Alumnus of the School of Physical Sciences.

Mr. George Adjabeng is the Founder, Lead Designer & CEO of Ecodyst, Inc. Ecodyst is a company that is speeding up the drug discovery process through the design, manufacture, and distribution of intelligent self-cooling modern Rotovaps that do not require water, dry ice, or external glycol chiller. This eliminates the additional operational cost and shortens the dry down time for samples. Ecodyst donates at least one piece of equipment each year and the University of Cape Coast was selected to receive the Rotovaps equipment worth over USD 15,000 this year.

Evaporation is used by laboratory rotary evaporators to efficiently and gently remove solvents from a variety of sample types. This includes both inorganic and organic analytes and polymeric materials.

A sample is heated while its boiling point is simultaneously decreased by a vacuum that is induced by the lab rotary evaporator. The boiling point reduces when the pressure of the liquid is decreased, and the solvent can be vaporized at a much lower temperature than its normal boiling point.

This is what makes rotary evaporation an extremely economical and efficient process.

EcoChyll lab rotary evaporators from Ecodyst

Ecodyst’s EcoChyll lab rotary evaporators are at the cutting-edge of the evaporative process producing the first lab rotary evaporators that use metal condensers.

The refrigeration line of the devices can be connected directly to the condenser coils because metal is more conductive and stronger than glass. Ecodyst’s range is very efficient, which ensures that more vapor substance is condensed.

EcoChyll X7 and X9 and other large-scale EcoChyll models can carry up to 200 liters in just one solvent recovery process, meaning a reduced amount of mechanization for rates of solvent recovery is needed, and less manpower is required for each evaporation.

At the other end of the scale are the EcoChyll S and hydrogen designed small-scale (benchtop) evaporation up to 5 liters where space is a high priority.

These innovative devices have intelligent self-cooling condenser technology that is both extremely fast and very efficient at condensing vapors, including aqueous solvents.

Both EcoChyll S and hydrogen achieve rapid cool down, reaching -40C in 60 seconds, and are always available, successfully increasing productivity, eliminating downtime, and saving money and time.

As a highly efficient, plug-and-play condenser, EcoChyll S upgrades any benchtop rotovap by replacing dry ice, traditional water or glycol chiller condensers.

The Hydrogen is a powerful, small-footprint, plug-and-play rotovap, with intelligent self-cooling, invented for scientists by scientists. It has superior advantages, such as extremely quick rates of evaporation and a large cooling survey area condenser, allowing scientists to focus on more complex tasks.

Lab rotary evaporators that are more environmentally friendly

Ecodyst’s lab rotary evaporators can by-pass cooling systems that use undesirable methods and materials and consume a large amount of energy, making evaporation by EcoChyll more environmentally friendly.

They are an energy-efficient alternative to traditional lab rotary evaporators, which utilize thousands of gallons of tap water per year, use large amounts of energy cooling antifreeze, or waste dry ice.

Lab rotary evaporators that are more cost-effective

The industrial-scale lab rotary evaporators from Ecodyst do not make use of expensive rotary motor mechanisms, making them the cost-effective option. The EcoChyll^® X3 and X5 medium-scale lab rotary evaporator systems (12 to 22 liters), for example, are an extremely efficient alternative to all existing evaporator technologies.

The same intelligent self-cooling metallic condenser technology as other instruments in the EcoChyll range is at the core of the cost-effective X5, which features a single condenser in a space-friendly yet robust unit. The X5 reduces costs in the long term by saving both manpower and time.

Ecodyst’s lab rotary evaporators minimize waste, as well as the costs deriving from the use of water or dry ice, resulting in almost no operational costs associated with these models.

Ecodyst’s lab rotary evaporators are easy to use and more convenient

The EcoChyll consumer-driven lab rotary evaporator range is easy to use, with no large evaporation vessels which need to be removed. Developed with the aim of increasing the efficiency of users’ experiences, this consumer-driven range drives down costs.

Lab rotary evaporators from Ecodyst are sustainable, practical and cost-effective. If you would like to find out more, contact us today.

About Ecodyst

Ecodyst was founded in 2014 by George Adjabeng and Kwabena Williams. Both had a desire to provide chemistry labs with the best solutions possible to maximize productivity at a lower cost, while also creating a safer workplace environment. Ecodyst’s rotovaps improve upon every aspect of the process, providing better samples exponentially faster and more efficiently without exposing the chemist to health hazards such as carbon dioxide and frostbite.

Ecodyst’s disruptive technology will ultimately set new standards for laboratories worldwide and facilitate unprecedented discoveries in countless fields of research. The revolutionary EcoChyll^® is already in use by top chemists and laboratories at major universities in the United States, and it’s only the beginning. George and Kwabena’s hopes are that faster, safer rotovaps will lead to more discoveries and lives saved in the process.

Source: https://www.news-medical.net/whitepaper/20210401/The-Benefits-of-Ecodyst-Lab-Rotary-Evaporators.aspx?PreviewCode=b4eea085-0bd3-4542-9fa7-635b306cd049