Centrifuge

From Sciencemadness Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search

A centrifuge is an apparatus that rotates at high speed and by centrifugal force separates substances of different densities. Centrifuges are commonly used for separating very fine suspensions from a fluid, that would normally be too fine to filter.

Design

A centrifuge consists of a body apparatus, where a rotor is attached. On the rotor, there is a support for attaching samples. The rotor is covered by a lid, for safety.

Availability

Centrifuges can be purchased from various online sellers.

Projects

  • Separate extremely fine particles

DIY centrifuge

The simplest way to make a centrifuge is to connect a support to an electric motor. To control the speed, use a power regulator.

A small-scale centrifuge can be powered by an electric drill or drillpress.

The Paperfuge is a hand-powered, ultra-lightweight, very inexpensive centrifuge with a design based on a classic 'whirligig' toy. It is reportedly capable of separating plasma or malarial parasites from blood, and reaching centrifugal forces of 30,000 G or more.

Making more powerful centrifuges is dangerous, as it requires delicate machination.

References

Relevant Sciencemadness threads