A solvent recovery unit, also known as a solvent recovery system or solvent recycling unit, is a piece of industrial equipment designed to recover and reuse solvents that are used in various manufacturing processes. Solvents are often used to dissolve, disperse, or extract substances in industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, paints, coatings, & electronics manufacturing. However, solvents can be expensive to purchase and dispose of, and their improper handling can lead to environmental and health concerns.

A solvent recovery unit works by distilling and separating the solvent from the contaminants, impurities, and residues it has picked up during the manufacturing process. Here’s how a typical solvent recovery process might work:

Collection: The used solvent, which may contain dissolved materials, is collected from the manufacturing process. This solvent is often referred to as “dirty” solvent.

Distillation: The collected dirty solvent is heated in a distillation chamber. Solvents have lower boiling points than many of the contaminants they may have picked up during use. As the solvent vaporizes, it rises and is collected in a separate chamber.

Separation: The vaporized solvent is condensed back into a liquid state by cooling it down. Since the contaminants have higher boiling points, they are left behind in the distillation chamber. This separation process helps to purify the solvent.

Recovery: The purified solvent is then collected and can be reused in the manufacturing process. The recovered solvent is often referred to as “clean” solvent.