from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Evaporator \E*vap"o*ra`tor\, n.
1. An apparatus for condensing vegetable juices, or for
drying fruit by heat.
[1913 Webster]
2. Any device designed to evaporate a fluid.
[PJC]
3. Specifically: The portion of a refrigeration system in
which the refrigerant evaporates and thus absorbs heat.
[PJC]
{rotary evaporator} (Chem.) a device used in laboratories in
which a liquid is evaporated by reducing the pressure and
applying heat, while rotating the liquid in a vessel such
as a round-bottomed flask. The reduced pressure speeds the
evaporation process and allows the evaporation to be
conducted at temperatures lower than would otgherwise be
possible, thus reducing decomposition of unstable
substances. The rotation also serves to increase the
surface area from which evaporation takes place and to
reduce the effect of "bumping", the sudden burst of
vaporization that can scatter liquid exposed to reduced
pressure.
[PJC]