Development of a low-cost, low-volume alternative for purification fraction collection

Abstract

An essential aspect of chemical research is the ability to accurately and repeatably isolate and extract different compounds from a chemical mixture. In a lab setting, this process is often automated via benchtop devices that can breakdown a sample mixture and collect the individual compounds. However, these systems are often large, expensive, and difficult to customize. This research sets out to design, build, and test a small, low-cost system that can be deployed in a variety of lab settings as an alternative to a larger industrial system. This research focuses on the chemical process of separation and fraction collection, as well as the mechanical and computational development of the prototype system. Through trial experimentation, it was found that the prototype system performs comparatively to commercial platforms, and offers unique benefits such as reduced size, an accessible design, and ease of customization.