Nitrogen evaporation is a vital step in many analytical chemistry practices. When so many procedures rely on using this one piece of equipment, you need to make sure that your nitrogen evaporator will stand the test of time, while consistently providing accurate results. Preparing samples for analysis can often be a laborious and time consuming task, but by using the right equipment you can get the reliable end point concentrations you need while achieving tremendous time and cost savings for your entire laboratory.
4 Common Misconceptions About Nitrogen Evaporators
Here are the 4 most common misconceptions given about nitrogen evaporators as polled by Organomation Associates, Inc. customers and clients over the past 50 years.
Misconception #1: Nitrogen evaporators only accommodate one sample test tube size
This is the number one misconception scientists have towards nitrogen evaporators and the primary way laboratories waste money by purchasing multiple evaporators to concentrate samples of different sizes. A laboratory can be a hectic place, and now more than ever is it important to have laboratory instruments that are adaptable enough to keep up with a myriad of different procedures. Being able to use the same evaporator to process varying sample and test tube sizes is important because it saves your laboratory money through not having to purchase additional equipment. Also, utilizing one adaptable instrument for these tasks, rather than several limited instruments, maximizes your available hood space.
Organomation’s line of rotary nitrogen evaporators employ a sample holder and support tray that accommodates varying sizes of test tubes for water or dry baths models. Our machined aluminum heat block evaporators can be ordered with custom inserts to accommodate test tubes to customer specifications. What does this all mean for you? Cost effective versatility. Always check with your sales representatives about solutions to accommodate nitrogen evaporators for test tubes of varying size.
Misconception #2: Water baths are the only way to effectively heat samples
While water baths are a very reliable and effective way to gently heat your samples, stating it as the only practical heating medium is simply untrue. Some solvents require very high temperature levels to maximize sample concentration. These temperatures can often exceed the maximum temperature of a water bath. Dry baths which can use either aluminum beads, glass beads or an aluminum dry block are very viable alternatives. Laboratories that use these solutions can reach temperatures of 130°C. For more informatinon about our dry bath alternatives please visit our nitrogen evaporator nitrogen evaporator product page, or contact a representative at sales@organomation.com
Misconception #3: Evaporators have one nitrogen flow setting
Nitrogen is a cost to almost every laboratory, and in some instances it can be a very expensive cost. We have had customers call us looking for instruments because the instruments that they were using were consuming an unbelievable amount of nitrogen, some upwards of 72 liters per minute! While saving money is always something a laboratory is trying to achieve, what can be even more detrimental to your operation are samples being evaporated to dryness accidently or being rendered useless due to excessive nitrogen blow down. Some companies promote their equipment as being the fastest evaporators in the business because they simply blow the most nitrogen down onto the sample. Excessive nitrogen consumption is only one unfavorable outcome of this approach, too strong of a blow down can also lead to spills and inaccurate sample concentration. Evaporators you purchase for your lab should at the very least have a flow meter and for best results a secondary valve system for each individual sample position. This ensures that you have full control over the amount of nitrogen you use per position of your instrument.
Misconception #4: My evaporator needs to be hooked up to a nitrogen tank.
Although many laboratory technicians connect their evaporators to a nitrogen tank, there are other options when this is not feasible. Organomation now sells a nitrogen generator which can provide tremendous cost savings by no longer requiring an in house nitrogen tank. You simply need to connect your nitrogen generator to an oil-free air compressor, and you no longer need to be limited by the capacity and cost of your nitrogen tank. This unit has the potential to pay for itself through nitrogen savings within just a few years of purchase.