Why do we Use Refrigerated Centrifuges?

A refrigerated centrifuge is an experimental instrument used for rapidly solidifying materials. Its main function is to centrifuge the test object by rotating and cooling it so that it can reach a solidified state. It is usually used to separate and purify biological macromolecules such as proteins, cells, and nucleic acid, and can also be applied to the removal of solvents and freeze-drying preparations in chemical synthesis reactions. Next, ATO will take you to understand the reasons and necessity of people using refrigerated centrifuges.

What is a refrigerated centrifuge?

A refrigerated centrifuge is an experimental instrument equipped with a magnetic drive that can rotate the centrifuged track at a high speed, usually at 12,000 rpm or even higher. This high-speed rotation is equivalent to providing extremely high centrifugal force for the tested sample. In addition, the centrifuge chamber of the refrigerated centrifuge is also equipped with a refrigeration device, which can provide a very low temperature for the sample. In some models the cooling chamber temperature can be dropped below -20°C to ensure rapid cooling of samples.

Structure

The equipment usually consists of a sampling system, a centrifugal system, a cooling system, and a control system. The sampling system is used to put the sample to be processed into the centrifuge tube or centrifuge cup, and mark and locate it; the centrifuge system is responsible for rapidly rotating the sample to separate the liquid part and form layers of different densities, and finally achieve a fast effect of freezing; the cooling system provides a low-temperature environment to ensure the efficiency and effect of rapid freezing; the control system is used to monitor and adjust parameters throughout the process, such as centrifugation speed, cooling temperature, etc., so as to ensure the safety and quality of samples.

Advantages of refrigerated centrifuge

The advantages of refrigerated centrifuges mainly include the following points:

Quick Freezing: The temperature of the sample can be quickly lowered to below -180°C in a very short time, so as to quickly freeze the molecules and cells in the sample and maintain its original structure and activity.

High-speed centrifugation: The sample can be separated and stratified by centrifugal force in a high-speed rotation mode, which can effectively improve the efficiency and accuracy of sample processing.

Protect sample quality: The low-temperature freezing method used can effectively avoid the evaporation, precipitation, pollution, and other phenomena of other components in the sample, so as to better protect the quality of the sample.

Application of refrigerated centrifuge

The main application areas of refrigerated centrifuges are as follows:

Biological science research: Refrigerated centrifuges are widely used in biological science research, such as the separation and purification of proteins, cells, nucleic acids, etc. The principle is that in the case of high-speed rotation, it is enough to separate different components, and the cooling system can also reduce the temperature of the sample to maintain the activity and stability of the sample.

Chemical synthesis reaction: The refrigerated centrifuge can also be used to separate and purify the product by removing the reaction solvent during the chemical synthesis reaction so that the product can be extracted with higher purity, and it can also be used to prepare freeze-dried products.

Medical use: Refrigerated centrifuges can also be used in medical applications, such as sample preparation and detection in pharmaceutical research, detection, and analysis of drug effects, etc. Generally speaking, the application field of refrigerated centrifuges is very wide. This kind of experimental instrument can be applied to almost any material that needs to be solidified and separated quickly and has a wide range of applications in the fields of biology, chemistry, and pharmaceuticals. It can improve the efficiency of experiments, speed up the progress of various research work, and improve the accuracy of research results. It is one of the indispensable experimental equipment in the field of modern research.

Working principle

Compression process: In the air compressor, the refrigerant is compressed into a high-pressure gas while its temperature rises. The high-pressure gas is sent to the condenser, and after contacting the cooling water, it cools down rapidly and is condensed into a liquid. At this time, the high-temperature and high-pressure state of the refrigerant has been released.

Expansion valve process: Next, the liquid refrigerant slowly relaxes through the throttle valve and gradually relaxes from a high-pressure state to a low-pressure state. When the refrigerant passes through the throttling valve, it expands rapidly and its temperature and pressure drop accordingly. During this process, the temperature of the refrigerant has been reduced to a negative number, and at the same time, the cooling of the air in the air-conditioning room has been realized.

Evaporation process: As the temperature of the refrigerant drops, it enters the interior of the evaporator and begins to evaporate. The evaporator provides the cooling and heat transfer medium for the air, so the evaporator can be imagined as something like ice. As the air passes through the evaporator, its temperature is greatly reduced and the refrigerant is converted to a gaseous state. The liquid state of the refrigerant is absorbed by the evaporator, and then re-separated by the centrifuge and reused.

Maintenance of refrigerated centrifuge

Daily maintenance: In order to ensure the good operation of the refrigerated centrifuge, daily maintenance is very important. For example, evaporators, condensers, and throttle valves need to be cleaned regularly to ensure that their surfaces are clean and free of dust and other dirt to ensure smooth air circulation.

At the same time, it is also necessary to adjust and replace throttle valves, compressors, centrifuges, and other key components in time in response to changes in seasons and temperatures. In addition, regular inspection and maintenance of the entire refrigeration system are also required to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the system.

Regular inspection and maintenance: It is recommended to conduct a comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the refrigerated centrifuge on a regular basis, which can check the cooling efficiency, temperature difference, pressure difference, and flow parameters of the refrigerator, so as to find and solve problems in time.

In addition, the insulation of the refrigerator needs to be checked regularly to ensure a stable heat transfer effect between the body and the temperature. In order to prevent excessive moisture and oxygen from accumulating inside the pipes, regular cleaning and exhaust are also required.

All in all, a refrigerated centrifuge is a very important device that can help us refrigerate and reduce temperature in various fields. Only by strengthening the daily maintenance and regular maintenance of refrigerated centrifuges can we ensure their safe and stable operation and bring us more benefits.