Specifications

Operating Manual Freeze Dryer ALPHA 1-4 LD-2 / 2-4 LD-2, Version 0203, Page 7
1 General Information
1.1 Introduction
What is freeze drying?
Freeze drying means: Extraction of water from frozen material. The drying process
takes place by avoiding the liquid state through sublimation, i. e. direct conversion from
ice to vapour. This happens under vacuum, when the temperature in the product is
less than -10°C.
The aim of freeze drying is to obtain an easily water soluble product which will have
the same characteristics as the original product after addition of water.
As the drying process takes place in frozen state at very low temperatures it is possible
to dry e. g. albumen which will remain water soluble. Also most of the other chemical
compounds will be qualitatively and quantitatively unchanged.
Freeze drying (lyophilisation) is also the most gentle process for preserving the
biological properties of sensitive tissue and tissue components.
Through freeze drying the product, mainly of biological origin - such as tissues, tissue
extracts, bacteria, vaccines and sera - is transformed into a dry product. During this
process enzymatic, bacterial and chemical changes are largely avoided.
1.2 Applications
The freeze dryer ALPHA 1-4 LD-2 / ALPHA 2-4 LD-2 is a high-performance, universal
laboratory and pre-production unit for freeze drying of solid or liquid products in
ampoules, bottles, glass flasks, wide-neck filter bottles or dishes. All operations
necessary for freeze drying are possible inside the unit:
− Freezing
− Freeze drying
− Final drying
The freeze dryer ALPHA 1-4 LD-2 / ALPHA 2-4 LD-2 is suitable for drying of e. g.
bacteria and virus cultures, blood plasma, serum fractions, antibodies, sera, vaccines
and pharmaceutical products such as chloramphenicol, streptomycin, vitamins,
ferments as well as plant extracts for biochemical tests.