Previous Rotavapor® models
 | BUCHI is proud of it's more than 50 years of experience and leadership; manufacturing only top quality products our instruments are known for their rugged durability and long-lasting performance. |
50 Years of Rotary Evaporation
In 2007, BUCHI Labortechnik AG celebrated the invention and the 50 year success story of the rotary evaporator. One cannot imagine a modern laboratory without a rotary evaporator. Evaporation and distillation are still the most frequently used separation methods. To see the commencements of evaporation and separation we have to look back 3500 years into the history of mankind towards the Near East. At that time in Persia the „drop by drop separation“ was discovered for the production of rose water. The simplest apparatus design for distillation was based on a clay bowl. When the clay bowl was closed with a cover the vapor formed during heating and condensed at the inner surface of the cover to fine droplets. These droplets were collected from time to time by wiping them off with a feather to process them further. This method was quickly spread from Persia all over Europe, North Africa and Asia.
- Wool condensator
Due to a coincidence, Greek sailors discovered the wool condensator on the high seas more than 2500 years ago. The ship was in distress and the crew had to derive the vital fresh water from salt water. For this purpose they heated sea water and condensed the vapors in wool that was fixed above a pot. The so-called “wool condensator” was widespread from antiquity until modern times and represented quite a progress compared to the earlier “clay bowl-variant”.
The realization that sea water would become fresh water during evaporation is due to the observation that fog condensed at the sail and fell on the deck of the ship as heavy drops. At this time, no specific scientific experiments had been carried out to clarify the connection between fluids and vapors. Not before 350 B.C was the basic principle of distillation, evaporation, and condensation was investigated by ARISTOTLE, when he described the vital hydrological cycle in nature. Later, in the 2nd century, distillation apparatuses were developed in Egypt according to the teachings of alchemy. They consisted of the four classical components heating bath, sample flask, helmet and receiving flask. A helmet-shaped cover with an internal drain channel for the condensate was fixed above a kettle. The rising vapor condensed at the walls of the cover, the condensate accumulated in the lower rim and flew through the spout into a collecting vessel. The so-called “alembic” was normally made from copper but also from ceramic or glass. This principle in a modernized style is still used today in the rotary evaporators.
- Air-and water - cooled distillation before the 17th century
- Robert Boyle 1627-1691
In the 17th and 18th century the apparatuses were continually improved with regard to their distillation power. For this purpose, water was used as cooling agent for the first time. As to the choice of material, metal was more and more replaced by the more chemical- resistant glass. In the 17th century; the Irish physician Robert Boyle, who intensively studied the vacuum, carried out the first vacuum distillations to clarify the connection between pressure and boiling point. The invention of the pressure controller as well as the improvements of pumps thereupon enabled a more specific use of the vacuum distillation and lead to a more efficient evaporation. At first, only bubble apparatuses were used for vacuum distillation. With the emergence of the organic chemistry in the middle of the 19th century, a veritable innovation explosion took place and the first rectification columns and multi-step distillations were developed.
In the years 1950 and 1955 the scientists C.C. Draig and M.E. Volk respectively outlined the idea of the rotating flask to improve the mixing and increase the heat input for a product sparing operating procedure. Additionally, they suggested a condenser for the efficient condensation of the vapors.
- Walter BUCHI 1957
Walter BUCHI took up the idea of C.C. Draig and M.E. Volk together with the chemical industry of Basel and developed the first manufactured rotary evaporator. The first patented instruments were sold 1957 in Basel and introduced to an international public for the first time at the ACHEMA in Frankfurt in 1958. It was a resounding success!
The Rotavapor® Model 1957 featured a spark-free operating induction motor and a powerful glass condenser with cooling coil. For the first time it was possible to control the rotation speed of the motor continuously between 0-240 rpm with a simple pre-set potentiometer. The condenser was put on the drive unit by means of a standard joint. Already the first variant of 1957 enabled a continuous feeding of liquids during the distillation with a feeding tube and a cock. A water jet pump was used as vacuum source and a waterbath, into which the rotating flask could be partly immersed, was suggested for heating. For over 20 years the Rotavapor® Model 1957 was popular in countless laboratories. At the ACHEMA 1961 different companies already exhibited rotary evaporators that were obviously copying the BUCHI model but could never cope with it. Read more about the progression and success of the BUCHI Rotavapor® in the next article on this page.
- Rotavapor Model 1957
The BUCHI Labortechnik AG celebrates its birthday – half a century BUCHI rotary evaporator
The year 2007 is a special year for all BUCHI employees as the 50th anniversary of the Roti is a very special occasion. More than a century ago, in 1939, everything started with a small glass blowing factory in Heerbrugg in the Upper Rhine Valley. Today, in the 21st century, we can be proud of the result of our commitment. For five centuries we are pioneers and market leaders in the rotary evaporator business. Since 1957 we regularly and emphatically fascinate the laboratory world with our innovations of the Rotavapor and are represented together with our affiliates and distribution partners all over the world. In the first part of the Rotavapor@ history we travelled through the „history of distillation“. This time we would like to inform you about the most important innovations of the Rotavapor@ within the last 50 years.
Cutback:
In the year 1939 Walter BUCHI founded his own glass blowing factory in the cellar of his home in Heerbrugg. This factory mainly manufactured glass fibers for the textile industry and glass instruments for school laboratories hospitals and the industry. Three years after the foundation the space in Heerbrugg had already become too small and the glass blowing factory W. BUCHI moved with its staff of 30 employees to the new factory floor in Flawil. During this time the factory mainly produced circular levels for measuring and glass instruments. In the year 1950 the glass blowing factory W. BUCHI conquered the international laboratory world by its first laboratory instrument „Fontavapor“, a water distillation instrument for laboratory use.
A vision becomes true: In the year 1957 the first Rotavapor was launched
The year 1957 was a successful year in many respects: The American physician Gordon Gould invented the laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) and the world of music was happy to announce the vinyl record, that in 1958 replaced the shellac record as sound storage medium. The glass blowing factory W. BUCHI convinced with the first rotary evaporator called Rotavapor® in 1957 and began its triumphant success in laboratories all over the world. This BUCHI worldnovelty reached the international clientele quickly and with ground-breaking success. The rotary evaporator literally represented an unfailing and robust workhorse which is meanwhile indispensable in every chemical laboratory.
In response to the hightech boom BUCHI created the Rotavapor-R in 1971:
During the seventies when the television was no luxury in Switzerland anymore, the amount of viewers reached over a million households and the USA faced the invention of the floppy disc, BUCHI once again caused a stir in the international laboratory world with another laboratory trendsetter. An evaporation instrument in a completely new design with integrated water- and oilbath offered a pleasant surprise. Nothing was left out: A diagonal condenser served for standard distillations at limited ceiling height, a spacesaving reflow condenser was provided for foaming solvents and a dry ice condenser enables the evaporation of solvents with a low boiling point. Altough the instrument remained very compact, the operational safety was increased by a larger platform. The motto in the year 1971 was to support variety and increase safety. Thus, nearly any customer need and any application field could be covered. The success did not fail to appear, the Rotavapor-R became the laboratory trendsetter of the seventies.
The ecological movement in 1980 increases the energy awareness and we lead on the „green“ thread with the innovative Rotavapor® R-110:
In the eighties new communication technologies revolutionize the industrial community and mark the beginning of a new media era. Environmental protection occupies the first rank in the ranking list of the most important political issues. The forest dieback, the dangers of nuclear energy, the temptations of materialism and “everything bad in the world” was discussed in the former subculture of the ecological movement. We were concerned not only about the ecological awarness but also about operational safety and considered both during the development of our next Rotavapor. The laboratories called for a smooth immerse and remove of the evaporating flask into and from the heating bath and for a condenser with optimized thermal efficiency for various fields of applications. Thanks to the more of twenty years of experience with the development of rotary evaporators the new challenges were faced and converted into functionality. Great importance was also attached to a high chemial resistance, especially concerning the seals, to optimize the leak tightness.
Together with the first home computers the first microprocessor controlled evaporating unit Rotavapor RE-111 was launched in 1983:
In the early eighties cable and satellite TV found their way into many households and IBM launched the first home computers. The designation „IBM compatible” was often heard and at the same time compatibility and programmability became BUCHI’s next challenge as well. In response to the general trend the Rotavapor RE-111 contributed to the simplification of the everyday life in the laboratory with a fully automatic operation and a microprocessor-controlled distillation according to fix programs. By this time the workload in the laboratories increased considerably, thus, it was very welcome that functionalities like the display of vapor and bath temperature, target and actual pressure and rotational speed were supported by the microprocessor.
The Rotavapor® RE-140/EL-141 was the first rotary evaporator enabling fully automatic distillation with integrated vacuum controller and provided a remote control for those wishing to keep in distance.
Popularity claims know-how– in 1992 the Rotavapor® R-114 was launched:
1992 was the „international space year“. Claude Nicollier was the first and only Swiss to fly to space for four times and who circuited the earth 136 times in eight days on board of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. At the same time BUCHI launched a new Roti generation aiming to meet as many requirements as possible. During the nineties environmental protection, economy and operational safety remained general issues. Provided with an optionally integrated vacuum controller for optimal environmental protection the R-114 series again set new standards in evaporation. Five different instrument versions were available, the R-3000 as low-cost variant, the “Basic” for clever routine operation, the “Standard” for a robust and reproducible distillation, the “Optima” as compact solution with integrated vacuum controller and, to top off the selection, the “Top”, an allrounder with highest comfort and safety. This broad overall supply for cutting off solvents in synthesis and analysis was a worldwide unique solution. Specially designed accessories, as e.g. a powerful recirculating chiller, rounded off the product portfolio in an ideal manner.
The Asian century demands electronic innovations - Rotavapor® R-200/R-205:
The year 2000 was not only a millennium year, it was also, according to a global average, one of the warmest years since 1761. With the beginning of the new millennium and on the cusp of the 21st century China and Japan started to become a global economic power and thus opened up the so-called “Asian century”. Despite of heat and electronic highlights from Asia the BUCHI staff kept a cold head and realized the concept less is more with the new Rotavapor ® generation R-200/R-205. With only two basic and two additional components six custom-made configurations could be achieved, with 33% less footprint, technical finesse and various fields of application. During the 40-year success history there was no evaporation line before combining highest functionality with innovative technology. The slogan 2000 was: „The most compact rotary evaporator worldwide“! The top model was provided with a display module for vapor temperature, flask rotation and integrated vacuum controller. Thus, functions like pressure gradients, automatic distillation to dryness, repeat and time functions and saveable distillation programs can be carried out.
The position of the „market leader“ obliges to the highest performance – The Rotavapor R-210/R-215:
In 2006 the Mozart year was celebrated on the occasion of Mozart’s 250th birthday and the people enjoyed his compositions. The Rotavapor R-210/R-215 is the latest BUCHI composition, a composition of practical aspects, clever operation and highest quality. As electronic innovations, modularity and far-reaching application fields played a great role for the preceeding model, the latest BUCHI development focussed on simple and practical handling and safety. Impressive properties like robustness, longevity and distinct functionality were the demands made on this model range. For the first time special attention was turned to ergonomics as well. The new heating bath with the cordless electronic quick action jack for an easy filling and emptying was introduced, too. The integrated solvent library with 43 predefined solvents is another highlight within the process definition with the vacuum controller.
Always one step ahead of the future:
Today the progress advances in the direction of parallel evaporation. The newest development expands the functionality of the popular Rotavapor® with a modular component - the Multivapor®, multiplying the Rotavapor to enable parallel evaporation. Although meanwhile product innovations became a routine at BUCHI each new market launch involves additional technical finesses and surprises to be able to satisfy our customers to the highest degree. With a comprehensive product portfolio we are on the best way to strengthen our market leader position and to continue the success story of the rotary evaporator with further product innovations.
