Rotary Evaporator Fact Sheet

Rotary Evaporator Fact Sheet
What are Rotary Evaporators?

A rotary evaporator (also called as
“rotavap” or “rotovap”) is a device used
in labs for the efficient and gentle
removal of solvents from samples by
evaporation. The picture on the right
shows what a typical rotary evaporator
includes.
What are Potential Hazards?
• Burn hazard from heating water Source:

bath (usually range from 25 – http://www.chem.ucalgary.ca/courses/351/laboratory/rotavap.pdf
95 °C) or cryogens used for cooling.

• Implosion hazard from vacuum system.
• Ignition hazard if flammable liquid vapors escape the apparatus or accumulate in the
pump.
• Inhalation hazard if toxic chemical vapors escape the apparatus.
• Pinch point hazard from the motor unit and manual quick-action jack.
• Entanglement with spinning parts.
• Electrocution/shock hazard from the outlet.
• Cut hazard from broken flasks.
How to Work Safely with Rotary Evaporators?
1. Wear lab coats, eye protection (safety glasses or goggles), closed-toes shoes, and
appropriate gloves while operating the equipment.
2. Tie back long hair and do not wear loose items to avoid entanglement.
3. Ensure that the apparatus is maintained in a good working order. Seals should be
checked periodically and replaced as necessary. Decrease in vacuum and leaking are
generally indications that seals should be replaced.
4. Use a vacuum source that is appropriate for the level of vacuum needed. Diaphragm
pumps are appropriate for most applications. Belt pumps and rotary vane pumps
provide high levels of vacuum that can cause excessive bumping (i.e., flash boiling of
solvent) and clog traps. Water aspirators
should not be used as these can allow
solvent vapors to enter drains and waste
large volumes of water.
5. Check all glassware for visible chips,
cracks or scratches before using. Handle
glassware with care at all times.
6. Always use a cold trap in between the
rotovap and the pump. Never use a liquid
nitrogen to cool the trap as this can cause
condensation of liquid oxygen. Empty the
trap after each use. If a trap becomes
clogged, immediately shut off the
vacuum, disconnect the trap and ensure it
is open to atmosphere to prevent A bump bulb
explosion. Allow the trap to thaw in a

fume hood to empty.
7. Cool the receiving flask in a cold bath (typically ice water) and ensure that fluid used to
cool the condenser is at a temperature appropriate for the solvent being removed. This
will promote efficient collection of solvent and avoid overloading cold traps. Use chilled
recirculators, or similar types of items, for supplying cooling fluid to the condenser to
avoid wasting water.
8. Use a bump bulb (see picture) placed between your sample and the condenser to
prevent contamination of the condenser area (and your sample) in the event of
bumping. Remove and clean the bump bulb from the rotovap immediately after use to
ensure ground glass joint connections do not stick together and to prevent
contamination of future samples that will be rotovaped.
9. Always ensure that flasks, bump bulbs, and ground glass joint connections are secured
to the unit with clamps or Keck clips, as appropriate.
10. Always keep organic solvents and residues away from the water baths and the electrical
components. Change contaminated baths immediately.
11. Know the risks and properties of the chemicals you are working with. SDS sheets can be
found through CEMS: https://cems.unh.edu/umass/CEMS/. Rotovaping of toxic items
should only occur with appropriate local exhaust (i.e., in a fume hood, or in some cases,
with a snorkel exhaust). Please contact EH&S if you have questions about the safety of
your rotovap configuration for your application.
12. Rotovaps cannot be used for air and water-sensitive materials. Highly reactive materials
should also not be rotovaped to prevent damage to seals. Distillation is a more
appropriate choice for solvent removal for these items.
13. The water bath temperature should not exceed the boiling point of the solvent.
Increase the temperature of the bath slowly to avoid bumping. Since a vacuum is
usually applied to the setup, the boiling points of the solvents are going to be
significantly lower than at ambient pressure (examples in the table below):
Solvent b.p. (760 torr) b.p. (40 torr)
acetonitrile 81.8 oC 7.7 oC
diethyl ether 34.6 oC -27.7oC
ethanol 78.4 oC 19 oC
ethyl acetate 77.1 oC 9.1 oC
hexane 68.7 oC -2.3 oC
heptane 98.4 oC 22.3 oC
methanol 64.7 oC 5.0 oC
14. Set the motor to start spinning slowly prior to applying vacuum to avoid bumping.
Adjust the spinning speed once the vacuum is engaged to maximize surface area and
prevent bumping.
15. Adjust the pressure to the minimum level needed to allow for efficient removal of
solvent. Some units are equipped with devices to automatically control the pressure to
a defined set point. For other units, pressure must be adjusted manually by using the
vent stopcock located at the top of the condenser. For both types of units, the pressure
should be monitored and adjusted, if necessary, throughout the process to avoid
bumping.
16. Always empty the solvent collection flask of the unit immediately after use to prevent
accidentally mixing of incompatible materials or unidentified waste.
References:
1. UCLA Chemistry Department, Rotary Evaporator Topic:
http://www.chem.ucla.edu/~bacher/Specialtopics/rotavap.html
2. University of Illinois, Rotary Evaporator SOP:
https://braun.matse.illinois.edu/files/2018/02/SOP_BI-001_Rotovap-1.pdf
3. Purdue University , Rotary Evaporator SOP:
https://engineering.purdue.edu/Powerlab/Standard%20Operating%20Procedures/Rotary%20Ev
aporator%20(SOP).pdf
4. Imperial College London, Rotary Evaporator Risk Assessment:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/pls/portallive/docs/1/491967.PDF
5. The University of Sydney, Using a rotary evaporator with water aspirator or pump SOP:
https://www.sydney.edu.au/science/molecular_bioscience/ohs/documents/sop/SOP%20SMB_0
50.1_Using%20a%20rotory%20evaporator%20DF%20NS%200614.pdf
6. Stanford University, How to Use a Rotary Evaporator:
https://uytengsuteachinglab.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj9841/f/rotavapsop.pdf

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What are Rotary Evaporators?

• Burn hazard from heating water Source:

95 °C) or cryogens used for cooling.

explosion. Allow the trap to thaw in a

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