What is Short Path Distillation?
The short path distillation is a technique that removes solvents form mixtures through evaporation, which is mainly used for liquid-liquid separation. The principle is that the pressure difference between the boiling film and condensing surface is the driving force of the steam flow, and the minimum pressure will cause the flowing of steam. Under the 1mbar, the operation requires that there is the shortest distance between the boiling surface and condensing surface. The evaporator manufactured based on the principle is called the short-path distillation. The short-path distillation (molecular distillation) is equipped with an inside condenser which is opposite to the heating surface, and make the operation pressure reduce to under 0.001mbar. Its relative low boiling temperature is very suitable for the material with heat sensitive and high boiling point.
What does Short Path Distillation Do?
The short path distillation is one of the most high-efficiency distillation techniques in people’s using, which can solve the problem that conventional distillation technology can’t. It is very suitable for the extraction and concentration of heat-sensitive and high-boiling substances. It is widely used in food, medicine, fine chemicals, electronic materials, plastic engineering and polymers (such as polyols, fatty acids, polyphenols, polyurethane, epoxy resins, lactic acid, monoglycerides, flavors, heavy oils and paraffin oils) and other fields.
Working Principle of Short Path Distillation
As a type of thermodynamic separation technology, the short path distillation can evaporate components with low boiling points by utilizing that the boiling point of each component in the mixed liquid or liquid-solid mixture is different, and then condense the material to separate the whole components. It is the combination of evaporation and condensation unit operations as well as a kind of liquid-liquid separation technology. Compared to other separation methods, such as extraction, filtration and crystallization, it has the advantage that no other solvents than system components are required, thus ensuring that no new impurities are introduced.
Working Procedure of Short Path Distillation
Short path distillation is widely used in many fields, for example, industrial, chemical labs, petrol industry and other fields. As we all know, short path distillation is used on the concentration and extraction of many substances. So knowing short path distillation working procedure is very essential and let’s see as follows:
1. Turn on the main power source and then low temperature thermostatic bath. Press the freezing button and circulating button on thermostatic bath, and then set the temperature in order to put the temperature down to the setting temperature and stable.
2. Turn on vane pump power supply, and observe if vane pump’s rotating makes the equipment under vacuum environment. Turn on oil pump power supply in order to make hot oil circulate. Turn on the electric heater power supply and set the heating temperature. Turn on stirring blade and observe if it works. Turn on roots pump power supply when vacuum degree achieves certain condition, and make the vacuum degree down to lowest.
3. Put the materials into the evaporation flask and pay attention to the liquid height at the same time. Open the material outlet valve and pay attention to how big the material outlet valve is opened. Open the injection valves. Let in the materials in time and pay attention to the liquid height at the same time.
4. Decrease the temperature after the evaporating process is done. When the temperature is down the safety temperature, close vane pump and roots pump, and then eliminate the vacuum.
5. Take the receiving flask and evaporation flask down and turn down all the power supplies.
