The Sustainable Rotary Evaporator from Ecodyst

Rotary evaporators (sometimes called rotovaps) are a feature of many chemistry laboratories. Whilst new models of rotary evaporators are developed year by year, there has not been a significant change in the way they operate since their invention in the 1950s.

However, recently, Ecodyst has pioneered revolutionary rotary evaporator technology which minimizes costs and environmental impact whilst also offering enhanced performance and simplified operation.

The History of the Rotary Evaporator

Conventional rotary evaporators have some downsides, despite being widely used. This is largely due to the use of glass condensers. Glass is often used in chemistry applications as it is low in cost and has a high chemical resistance. However, glass is a poor conductor of heat meaning that traditional rotary evaporators have had to work harder to stay hot, thus increasing the energy usage and making them less sustainable.

Rotary evaporators are also expensive to operate, inefficient at vapor trapping, and make managing dry ice and solvent mixtures extremely time-consuming.

How Ecodyst Solved Sustainability Issues

Ecodyst overcame limitations of rotary evaporator design, reimaging the unsustainable, inefficient elements of the production. Ecodyst rotary evaporators use a metal condenser coil which is coated with a chemical-resistant polymer. This change creates advantages over the traditional glass condensers.

Ecodyst’s EcoChyll X1 condenser is more sustainable as it offers enhanced thermal conductivity and more energy-efficient cooling when compared with glass. It is also extremely durable, with a large surface area which allows for customization the metal condenser is also strong enough to be connected with a pressurized refrigeration system meaning that there is no need to recirculate glycol or water-saving energy, time, money, and hardware costs. This also reduces the overall space in the laboratory that the rotary evaporator requires. The only operating cost that this rotary evaporator requires is the energy which is around half that required for traditional glass rotary evaporators.

A Range of Rotary Evaporators to Suit Laboratory Needs

The EcoChyll X7 and X9 are large scale models which can facilitate up to 200 liters in just one solvent recovery process. This means that less energy and manpower is required for each evaporation. Conversely, EcoChyll S and Hydrogen are designed to be small-scale, benchtop rotary evaporators for situations in which space is important.

EcoChyll S and Hydrogen are both able to achieve a fast cool down, reaching -40°C in one minute. They are both always available which leads to a more sustainable model, increasing productivity, saving money, and eliminating downtime.

Ecodyst’s Rotary Evaporators

As Ecodyst’s rotary evaporators bypass cooling systems which use high amounts of energy and are less sustainable in the long term, our rotary evaporators are more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient. Our rotary evaporators have no need to use the thousands of gallons of tap water each year, or use dry ice or use large amounts of energy cooling antifreeze.

For all of the reasons outlined in this article, Ecodyst’s model offers a more sustainable approach to rotary evaporation. If you would like to find out more about our rotary evaporators, contact us today.