How Efficient is Your Solvent Condenser?

Genevac has released a new technical report that describes an evaluation of three different condenser (cold trap) designs and discusses their suitability for use with biological sample concentrators.

Refrigerated cold traps have been used for many years to condense solvent removed from samples as part of a vacuum evaporation or concentration process. Initially cold traps were used to protect oil lubricated vacuum pumps from attack by organic solvents, however, in recent years their scope of application has been extended to help reduce evaporation times and to minimise solvent emissions into the laboratory environment.

The report compares the performance of the miVac SpeedTrap with two traditional cold traps, comprising a stainless steel vessel chilled by a gas compressor system, operating at -104ºC and -60ºC respectively. Experimental results are presented and compared.

The cold trap operating at the lowest temperature is shown to be least effective performing poorly under load. The cascade design (-60ºC) cold trap is shown to perform better but was not optimally. The miVac SpeedTrap design, where the condenser coils are directly in the vapour path, proved most efficient. The miVac SpeedTrap condenser is shown also to have significant benefits in terms of ease of handling and operator safety.