Centrifuge

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.