4 BENEFITS FOR CHOOSING FULLY AUTOMATED HOT SOLVENT EXTRACTIONS

24.05.2022

Discover how the Hot Solvent Extraction and the VELP SER 158 support the analytical laboratories to improve their productivity, free up operators' time, maximize solvent recovery and reduce water consumption. A comparison with the traditional Soxhlet method.

4 BENEFITS FOR CHOOSING FULLY AUTOMATED HOT SOLVENT EXTRACTIONS

Solvent extraction is one of the most used analytical techniques to separate compounds by using solvents and exploiting components’ solubility differences.

There are several methods of performing an extraction. The traditional Soxhlet method is the best known though it has multiple areas for improvement.

A small amount of dry sample is placed in a thimble, which is positioned in a distillation flask containing the proper solvent. Once reached an overflow level, the solution of the thimble-holder is aspirated by a siphon, which unloads the solution back into the distillation flask. This solution carries the extracted into the bulk liquid. The solute remains behind in the distillation flask, and the solvent passes back to the samples. The process is repeated until complete extraction takes place (Saim et al., 1997).

Modern analytical laboratories are striving to develop methods that accomplish the desired results in a more rapid, less expensive, and automated manner.

Hot solvent extraction and the VELP SER 158, are the answer to these needs!

The SER 158 automatic solvent extractor works totally unattended and, as the table below shows, enables you to:

1. Speed up your analyses

In Hot Solvent Extractions the thimble is directly immersed in the boiling solvent. Differently, in Soxhlet ones there is the need for the solvent to pass back to the solid bed of samples many times and this makes the analyses require more than 150 minutes for each one.

2. Save valuable operator time

Thanks to full automation, the operator time is reduced to 2 minutes per analysis, which is the time needed to prepare the sample and set up the instrument.

Once done, the VELP SER 158 will automatically and unattended perform multiple extractions.

Moreover, results are immediately calculated and stored on the onboard memory and thanks to the VELP Ermes Cloud Platform the operator can monitor and control analyses from a virtual cockpit anywhere, anytime.

3. Maximize solvent recovery

The VELP titanium condensers enable more than 90% of solvent recovery. The solvent is collected in the cooled recovery tank and it can be reused, cutting down operating costs.

4. Reduce water consumption

A minimal cooling water consumption (starting from 1 l/min) and the independent heaters switch on/off, enable water consumption reduction.

The table shows the comparison between the traditional Soxhlet method and hot solvent extraction performed with the automatic solution SER 158, in terms of time required to complete the extraction, solvent recovered and water consumption.

Want to discover all the benefits of hot solvent extraction and the innovative features of the VELP SER 158?

CONTACT A SPECIALIST