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A Soxhlet extractor is a laboratory device used to extract compounds from solids by continuous treatment with a solvent. It consists of a sample suspended in a flask with a condenser above it. The solvent evaporates and drips into the sample, dissolving the compound. The leftover solid is discarded, and the extracted compounds are collected for study. The glassware is specially designed to resist high heat and corrosive substances. It can be washed thoroughly between uses to ensure pure results.
A Soxhlet extractor is laboratory equipment designed for processing certain types of solids. These devices allow for the continuous treatment of a sample with a solvent over a period of hours or days to extract the compounds of interest. They are used by chemists in a variety of fields in sample analysis, analytics, quality control and related applications. Lab equipment suppliers can carry these in a range of sizes, along with accessories.
Early versions of a similar device were in use for thousands of years before a German chemist in the late 1800s lent his name to the invention. The Soxhlet extractor includes a sample suspended inside a larger flask, with a condenser above it. To use it, a chemist heats the solvent, which evaporates and rises in the condenser. Drops of the solvent drip into the sample, dissolving the compound.
Once the level inside the sample chamber has risen high enough, a small tube returns the solvent to the bottom of the flask, where it can evaporate again and repeat the process. Multiple washes can dump the chemicals of interest from the solid sample into the solvent, where they can be collected for study. The leftover solid is typically discarded, unless a chemist has a specific use for it. Using a Soxhlet extractor can increase the efficiency of the extraction process and allows for a high level of control over the sample being tested.
Like other laboratory glassware, the Soxhlet extractor has some special features. Scientific equipment manufacturers use glass specially designed for this purpose so that it resists cracking and shattering, even under high heat and when exposed to corrosive substances. Very tight manufacturing tolerances ensure the consistency of the laboratory equipment, right down to the tilt of the glass and the bends of the tubes. These are vital to ensure that equipment operates reliably, which allows experiments to be tested and repeated.
Between uses, a Soxhlet extractor can be washed thoroughly and allowed to dry completely, removing all traces of the materials it contains so they will not interfere with your next experiment. The laboratory may have a standard protocol for cleaning and drying, which is also used for consistency reasons. Regardless of who cleans the glassware, the same steps will be followed. In peer reviews of scientific studies, researchers try to determine if every possible variable has been controlled for and want to see evidence of protocols for keeping the environment clean to ensure pure results.
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