Centrifugation is a process which materials suspended in a liquid medium undergo separation or

concentrate due to the effect of gravity. Particles with different density and masses are settled at different
rates in a tube which are response to gravity. Centrifuge is an instrument which can spin carrier vessels at
high rotation speed and very high centrifugal force to allow centrifugation. The centrifugal force
generated is proportional to the rotation rate of the rotor and the distance between the rotor center and the
centrifuge tube.
A centrifuge is a mechanical device that can subject an experimental sample to a sustained
centrifugal force. Tubes containing experimental samples either in suspension or dissolved in a fluid can
be "spun" at high speeds for particular lengths of time to achieve particular objectives. In bioresearch
labs, these objectives include the separation, concentration, clarification, characterization, and purification
of biological and biochemical materials. Material that has accumulated on the bottom of a tube after
centrifugation (if any) is called the "pellet", and the overlying fluid is called the "supernatant solution" or
simple the "supernate". Material comprising the pellet is said to have "sedimented".
Separation by Density
Any number of suspended materials can be separated from a suspension in this way. Each
different substance will separate in order of its density, forming distinct layers at the bottom
of the tube when the machine is stopped. This is known as the sedimentation principle.
Centrifuges are machines used in laboratories, medical facilities, and industries to separate
suspended material from the mediums they are mixed with. This is done by spinning closed
containers of the mixture very quickly around a fixed, central point. The centrifugal forcegenerated
by this motion forces the denser material in the suspension against the walls of the container,
effectively separating it from the solution. These devices are used to separate solids from fluid
suspension mediums; for example, they are an essential medical tool for separating plasma from
blood samples.
How They Work
The core principle of centrifuge operation is centrifugal force. If a bucket half-filled with water is spun
quickly in a circle, over the head and back down to the ground, centrifugal force created by the
rotation of the bucket forces the water towards the bottom. This is what keeps the water in the
bucket even when it's upside down.
Most centrifuges harness this force in a similar way, and consist of a casing with a lid and a driven
central rotor. The rotor has a row of holes around its circumference into which the containers,
typically test tubes, of solution are placed. Once the machine lid is closed and the centrifuge
switched on, the rotor spins at high speed. As is the case with the bucket experiment, centrifugal
force causes any matter in the solution denser than the liquid to be forced against the outer walls of
the tubes, separating it from the fluid in the process.
Once the centrifuge has completed its cycle, it is gradually slowed and brought to a stop to
prevent any turbulence that could cause the solution to re-mix. This slowing period also
allows all the separated material to drop towards the bottom of the test tube. Once the rotor
has stopped, the tube may be removed and the samples processed.
In some cases, a centrifuge may have a screen at one end, allowing liquids to pass through
while solids remained trapped inside the tube. Others may hold the tubes at a fixed angle,
or allow them to swing out as they spin. The position of the tube and the speed at which the
centrifuge spins can vary, depending on the type of solution being separated.