What does the short path distillation process entail?
Short path distillation earns its name from the short distance that vapor travels in these setups, usually just a few inches. Picture the entire setup under vacuum; vapor from the distillate moves from one flask to another, helping to separate and refine the sample. A heating mantle heats the substance, turning it into vapor. These vapors rise up through a distillation head, condensing and dripping into one or more collecting flasks. The beauty of this system lies in its simplicity?it’s effective and easy to use. Even if the initial run contains unwanted elements, what you end up with is a highly purified, condensed final product. Sometimes, you might need a second pass, usually due to a mistake by the operator or issues during the first round. This is easily fixed and very common with most processes.
The lower pressure in the vacuum system means you need much less heat to get the results you want. This is especially handy for delicate organic compounds that might react poorly or even catch fire at higher temperatures.
Lowered pressure lowers the boiling points of compounds, giving you a pure distillate without harming your valuable products.
Wiped film distillation is a good alternative when looking to produce a larger volume. This can translate to more throughput per day. This system utilizes heaters, wipers, and condensers to achieve the same product with a more continuous output. Wiped/Thin Film evaporators usually come with a higher price tag, with some systems costing anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000. On the other hand, benchtop kits range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, offering options for different budgets. Choosing between a wiped film or short path is difficult, give us a call for some guidance if needed !
Wiped film typically refers to the use of a wiper blade to spread the liquid evenly along the interior of the evaporator so that it can evaporate easily.
What are the components of a Wiped Film?
- Still:?The main body or column of a Thin/Wiped Film evaporator is usually referred to as the still.? This is where the distillation occurs, and is one of the most complex portions of the machine. This usually includes the wiper mechanism, feed connection, and inner condenser, and two discharge points.
- Feed: the feed supply is the crude oil/ material that will be distilled. This can be purified/processed/prepared prior to distillation depending on the desired output material/purity. There is usually a pumping mechanism to maintain flow rate.
- Residue/Distillate outputs: The two end products from this process are distillate and residue. Distillate is the desired end product that was collected. Residue is composed of any feed waste and is usually discarded. In automated systems, this is pumped out and allows for continuous feed through the system, one of its main advantages from short path!
- Vacuum System/ Cold Trap: The vacuum system is a pivotal part of the wiped film setup. This allows distillation to occur at low temperatures. Compounds will evaporate at a lower temperature while under vacuum. This system is made up of vacuum pumps and a condenser. This condenser or “cold trap” will trap any leftover compounds prior to reaching the vacuum pump. This helps maintain vacuum levels and increases longevity.
Check out our laboratory chiller for more.
