What is Centrifugation?
Centrifugation is a mechanical technique for separation that involves the usage of centrifugal force to separate particles contained in a solution. The particles are segregated depending on their size, shape, density, and rotor speed. The suspended particles in a mixture are rotated at a high speed in a machine, called the centrifuge in order to segregate the particles from the liquid. The mixture is separated through spinning.
Centrifugation is a process for the separation of phases (liquid-liquid or solid-liquid) that differ from each other in their density, using centrifugal acceleration. Centrifugation is used for milk separation, cheese production, pulp control in juices, edible oil production, essential oil retrieval, and the production of starch and yeast.
NCERT Definition of Centrifugation
Centrifugation is a technique in which particles or molecules are separated based on their densities under the influence of gravitational force (g), by spinning them in a solution around an axis at high speed using centrifugal force.
Many applications of mechanical centrifugation in the food industry include milk separation, cheese production, pulp control in juices, edible oil production, essential oil recovery, and the production of starch and yeast. As centrifugation is decantation in a field of centrifugal forces, its comparison with gravitational settling is instructive.
Centrifugation is a method of separating molecules having different densities by spinning them in solution around an axis (in a centrifuge rotor) at high speed. It is one of the most useful and frequently employed techniques in the molecular biology laboratory. This method is preferred as a separation technique where the suspended particles in the liquid are significantly small to be retained by the filter paper. Therefore, the filtration technique cannot be used to separate them. The larger size and density of the particles help in the easier filtration of these particles.
Centrifugation
Centrifugation is a technique used to separate components of a mixture based on their size, shape, viscosity and density. It works by spinning the mixture at high speed in a machine called a centrifuge, which creates a force called centrifugal force. This force pushes denser components outward, away from the centre of the centrifuge, while less dense components are pushed inward.
Key Points:
- What it does: Separates components in a mixture.
- How it works: Uses centrifugal force created by spinning the mixture at high speed.
- What separates: Based on size, shape, and density.
- Used in: Many fields like biology, chemistry, medicine, and industry.
Learn about, the churning process, centrifugation process, types of centrifugation, and others in detail in this Centrifugation Notes.
Table of Content
- What is Centrifugation?
- Centrifugation Diagram
- Factors Affecting Centrifugation
- Principle of Centrifugation
- Centrifugation Types
- Application of Centrifugation