Where are centrifuges used?
TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Where are centrifuges used?
Clarify a liquid. Recover a useful fraction. Reduce liquid retained by solids. The objective is different for every process.
Industries and materials
| Sector | Examples |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceuticals | Blood products, intermediates, APIs, herbal medicines, amino acids, bacteria, vaccines, vitamins and antibiotics |
| Foods | Yeast, sake, extracts, seasonings, oils, fish oil, sugar, salt, wine, soy sauce and colourings |
| Universities and research | Experiments and process development |
| Chemicals | Paints, pigments, solvents, resins, metal powders, glass, paper and electronic materials |
| Recycling | Waste oil and wastewater |
Remove suspended debris from used oil
Clarify an oil
Centrifugation can remove solid contaminants from used edible oil and other waste oils, as part of evaluating potential reuse. Removing particles does not reverse chemical degradation of the oil; reuse suitability depends on the condition and intended use.
Recover cells from culture broth
Recover useful components
Recover microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria or yeast from culture broth in food and pharmaceutical processes, for transfer to the next process.
Remove unwanted fine solids
Support downstream quality
Fine suspended particles may affect product quality or downstream equipment. Separation can reduce this burden, with the residual level checked for the actual feed.
Dewater or deoil solids
Reduce retained liquid
Centrifugal force reduces liquid held by solids, potentially reducing the load on later drying. This does not mean the product becomes completely dry.
From laboratory questions to production equipment
Many people first encounter centrifuges as laboratory instruments holding test tubes. We specialise in industrial centrifuges that apply centrifugal force within production processes. We consider the material, volume and target fraction from research through to production.