How to Choose the right CentriVap Vacuum Concentrator

By Jenny Sprung, Senior Application Specialist

On September 11, 2014 in Articles

When you consider the wide variety of CentriVap vacuum concentrators available, it can be challenging to choose the best system for your process. You can either select each component to customize a unit that’s exactly right for your application, or choose a vacuum concentrator system based on your samples.

Each system includes a concentrator, cold trap, rotor, secondary trap and all of the tubing and clamps required to connect the system. In addition to all of this, a vacuum pump is also required.

Sample Type

The system type you select will depend upon the type of sample you are trying to evaporate. Available systems include aqueous, solvent, and acid:

• Aqueous – for samples that are mainly water
• Solvent – for samples that are solvents (may also contain aqueous)
• Acid – for acidic samples, such as HCL, TFA, Acetic Acid Formic Acid

Heat Sensitive Samples

For heat sensitive samples, a refrigerated vacuum concentrator that reaches -4C is available. The Refrigerated CentriVap is the only vacuum concentrator that incorporates refrigeration to keep samples cold during evaporation. Samples such as RNA and protein would work with the Refrigerated CentriVap.

Working with DNA

A DNA system is a fully integrated system that includes a built in vacuum pump and rotor for microcentrifuge tubes. The DNA system is for microcentrifuge tubes, or microtiter plates.

DNA yields may be increased with the CentriVap Micro IR Concentrator if your application allows for a very small samples. Find out more about this in the article “Micro IR Vacuum Concentrator increases yields in DNA analysis.”

Unique Workspaces

Finally, if bench space is limited, the mobile console is a floor model that houses the vacuum pump inside the cabinet.  It incorporates the concentrator, cold trap, rotor, and solvent trap and has castors for mobility.

As with all vacuum concentrator systems, a vacuum pump is required for the mobile console as well.

If selecting each component of your vacuum concentrator system separately, learn more about choosing the correct cold trap wth the article “Choose the correct Cold Trap…”