Frequently Asked Questions

Centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) is a method belonging to the countercurrent separation techniques wherein the stationary and mobile phases used in the separation are both liquids. The principle to retain the stationary phase inside the rotor by means of centrifugal force (thus making the phase suitable as stationary phase).

The operating principle of CPC (the driving force of the separation) lies in that different components of the mixture (sample) have a different partition coefficient (K) in the separated phases (K = concentration in the upper phase divided by the concentration in the lower phase). Due to the centrifugal force arising from the rotation around the central axis, the liquid chosen to be stationary phase retained in the extraction cells remains stationary. The liquid chosen to be the mobile phase is pumped through these extraction cells. As a result of the mixing and settling operations, extraction occurs in each of these extraction cells and ducts.

The solvent handling and recovery system within the pPCP platform, is optimized for a three-component setup, where the fluids can be recycled up to 95% (in case of organic solvents) per run except the collected fractions. The latter is evaporated outside the pCPC system.

During the selection of an effective solvent system, prior application, many parameters (viscosity, density, solubility, etc.) of the fluid need to be considered. Often these systems are tailor made to the individual purification setups and denote a high variety. A biphasic, hexane-methanol-water solvent system is most commonly used for cannabinoid purification and isolation. For some pharmaceutical precursors and beverages, industry compliant solvents such as ethanol, ethyl-acetate should be used.

The industrial scale device can be preprogrammed to 24/7 in quasi-continuous production mode. RotaChrom offers a fully comprehensive maintenance packages and the engineers will visit you quarterly for preventive maintenance.

RotaChrom is ready to host potential customers and our partners at two of our facilities; our headquarters, factory and method development labs in Budapest, Hungary as well as our equipment reference facility in the United States, in Denver, Colorado. To visit either facility, please reach out to a team member and we will schedule a time for you to see our equipment in action.

Site requirements documentation of RotaChrom details the optimal layout and floor plan utilization. In general, 200 ft² floor area for the iCPC unit and an additional 200 ft² for the SKIDs are required, however this might be subjected to revision, based on the local requirements and conditions. The control unit(s), in case the pCPC and pCPC+COI is ordered, shall be installed separately, outside the defined hazardous zones, always bearing in mind the standards for electrical installations and C1D1 environments (air vent, fire suppression, etc.). The minimum room height for operational and maintenance considerations should be at least 10 feet.

The frequency of maintenance of the RotaChrom platforms are correlated to the type of application (target material, matrices, solvent system) and intensity of usage. RotaChrom supplies the iCPC with a 10-micron inlet filter at input side that can be monitored and changed. The cleaning can be performed with the same solvent system the method has been set up with. The unit dependent on duty cycles and utilization rates should be checked quarter yearly to minimize operational down time.

During and in between operations, a cleaning cycle (generally using clean solvents flushing through the system) should be included at least with a daily frequency to avoid tar accumulation and clogging.

Filtration prior to injection of the product matrices are necessary to maintain an efficient work cycle.

During off cycle period (i.e. holidays) the system should be filled with solvent (preferably organic such as Ethylene glycol) to minimize system alteration.

As some of the components of the purification platform are subjected to rotational forces and excessive wear, the maintenance (for instance lubrication) according to operation manual are required on regular basis.

Europe and US based qualified engineer teams can be directly contacted for specific maintenance details and on-site or virtual trainings.