Removing solvent is a common step in many analytical workflows, from environmental testing to pharmaceutical research. Two of the most widely used techniques for concentrating samples are nitrogen blowdown evaporation and centrifugal evaporation.

While both methods can process many samples simultaneously, the optimal method often depends on factors like solvent type, volume, and temperature. This page includes a short quiz to help estimate which approach may evaporate your samples faster.

Before taking the quiz, it helps to understand how each technique works and when it is typically preferred.

What Is Nitrogen Blowdown Evaporation? 

Nitrogen blowdown evaporation removes solvent by directing a stream of nitrogen gas across the surface of the sample while applying controlled heat. The flowing gas removes the solvent vapor above the liquid, accelerating evaporation.

A common system used for this technique is the N-EVAP Nitrogen Evaporator from Organomation.

When Nitrogen Blowdown Is Preferred

Nitrogen blowdown is often the best choice when working with:

- Volatile organic solvents such as methanol, acetonitrile, or hexane
- Potentially hazardous or explosive solvents that are safer outside of a vacuum environment
- Chlorinated solvents like chloroform or dichloromethane
- Moderate sample volumes that benefit from higher evaporation temperatures

Nitrogen blowdown also processes each sample independently with its own gas stream, which can help minimize cross-contamination between samples.

What Is Centrifugal Evaporation? 

Centrifugal evaporators remove solvent using a combination of vacuum, heat, and centrifugal force. Lower pressure reduces the solvent’s boiling point while spinning prevents bumping and sample loss.

An example of this type of system is the CentriVap Centrifugal Evaporator produced by Labconco.

When Centrifugal Evaporation Is Preferred

Centrifugal evaporation is commonly chosen for:

- High-boiling-point solvents such as DMSO or DMF
- Aqueous samples or water mixtures
- Heat-sensitive biological samples like DNA, RNA, or proteins
- High-throughput workflows using microplates

The vacuum environment lowers the boiling point of difficult solvents, allowing them to evaporate efficiently without exposing samples to excessive heat.

Why Evaporation Speed Can Vary 

Although both methods can concentrate samples effectively, evaporation rates depend on several experimental variables, including:

- Solvent volatility
- Sample volume
- Number of samples being processed
- Temperature

For example, nitrogen blowdown can evaporate some common solvents faster than centrifugal systems when operated near the solvent’s optimal temperature.

Because these factors interact in complex ways, predicting which method will dry samples faster isn’t always straightforward.

Take the Quiz to Estimate the Faster Method 

To make this comparison easier, we created a short quiz that estimates which evaporation technique may be faster for your samples.

The quiz asks four simple questions:

1. Solvent volume
2. Sample capacity
3. Solvent type
4. Bath temperature

Based on your answers, the tool predicts whether centrifugal evaporation or nitrogen blowdown evaporation is likely to produce faster dry-down times.

The evaporation rate data used in the quiz was collected using the N-EVAP Nitrogen Evaporator from Organomation and the CentriVap Centrifugal Evaporator from Labconco.

Take the quiz above to determine which method will dry your samples faster!