Definition
Centrifuge is a device in which solidor liquid particles of different densitiesare separated by rotating them ina tube in a horizontal circle. Thedenser particles tend to move alongthe length of the tube to a greater radiusof rotation, displacing thelighter particles to the other end.
Agricultural Uses
Centrifuge is an apparatus in which liquid suspensions
are rotated at high speeds to separate the particulate
matter from the liquid by centrifugal force. If various
components of matter have different sedimentation
coefficients, these are separated by removing the
sedimented pellets at given intervals. During
centrifugation, materials of similar densities can also be
separated from a mixture of suspended materials.
The centrifuge has a chamber positioned over the
axis, which rotates at high speed (e.g.,10,000 rpm or
more) to impart high gravitational force.
Materials of higher density are thrown toward the outer
boundary of the chamber, while materials of lower
density are concentrated at or near the inner portion.
technique is used effectively in a number of biological
and industrial operations, such as the separation of
components of blood, concentration of rubber latex and
separation of fat from milk. The separation of isotopes,
especially of uranium, is now possible by this method,
and is used for producing enriched uranium.
Ultracentrifuge is an apparatus that develops
centrifugal forces a few million times that of gravity and
is used primarily in biochemical and molecular biology
research to separate substances from a solution. Originally, ultracentrifuges were developed
for analytical purposes to determine the size of colloidal
particles.
