Peptide & Purification

Acetonitrile & Solvent Recovery System

Mechotech designs and manufactures acetonitrile recovery systems that reclaim spent acetonitrile — and other process solvents — from peptide and pharmaceutical purification streams, returning them to high-purity, reusable grade. In preparative HPLC and peptide purification the mobile phase consumes large volumes of acetonitrile, and the used solvent is otherwise an expensive waste stream; a Mechotech recovery system distils and dehydrates that spent acetonitrile back to a low-UV-absorbance quality suitable for reuse in the same demanding applications. Engineered as an energy-efficient, closed-loop plant with capacities from 300 L/day to 10000 L/day, it distils the collected mobile phase, removes water and impurities, and delivers recovered solvent that meets tight UV-transmittance targets. The result is a substantial cut in raw-solvent purchasing, disposal cost and environmental footprint across peptide, generic-API and fine-chemical manufacturing.

A Mechotech acetonitrile recovery system combines fractional distillation with a dehydration stage to separate acetonitrile from water, buffer salts, trifluoroacetic-acid or formic-acid modifiers and trace organics carried over from the purification column. Spent mobile phase is collected and fed to a distillation column where acetonitrile is taken overhead, then dried to break the acetonitrile-water azeotrope and reach the low residual moisture needed for chromatography-grade reuse. The recovered solvent is polished to meet UV-transmittance targets across the low-wavelength range where prep-HPLC detection operates, so it performs like fresh solvent on the column. Built in stainless steel with chemically resistant seals and full vapour containment, the plant runs as a closed loop with heat integration to minimise steam and cooling duty. Capacity, column configuration, degree of dehydration and automation level are all specified to the customer's solvent mix, throughput and target purity, with PLC control for consistent, hands-off operation.

Technical Specifications

Technology	Fractional distillation with dehydration
Primary Solvent	Acetonitrile (general process solvents also recoverable)
Feed Source	Spent prep-HPLC mobile phase and process washes
Capacity	300 L/day to 10000 L/day (configurable)
Operation	Closed-loop, energy-efficient with heat integration
Recovered Purity Basis	Low-UV-absorbance, chromatography-grade reuse
UV Transmittance @ 200 nm	≥ 90% (typical)
UV Transmittance @ 210 nm	≥ 94% (typical)
UV Transmittance @ 220 nm	≥ 96% (typical)
UV Transmittance @ 240 nm	≥ 98% (typical)
UV Transmittance @ 250 nm	≥ 99% (typical)
Construction	Stainless steel with chemically resistant seals
Automation	PLC control (configurable)
Output	Recovered high-purity acetonitrile ready for reuse

Plant Capacities

Capacity	Scale / Usage	Configuration	Recovered Purity
300 L/day	Small purification suite	Distillation + dehydration, PLC	Low-UV-absorbance grade
500 L/day	Pilot / small production	Distillation + dehydration, PLC	Low-UV-absorbance grade
1000 L/day	Production	Distillation + dehydration, PLC	Low-UV-absorbance grade
2000 L/day	Production	Distillation + dehydration, PLC	Low-UV-absorbance grade
5000 L/day	Large production	Distillation + dehydration, PLC	Low-UV-absorbance grade
10000 L/day	High-volume manufacturing	Distillation + dehydration, PLC	Low-UV-absorbance grade

Capacity is configured to the customer's solvent mix, throughput and target purity; the column, dehydration stage, condensers, heat integration and controls are scaled to each plant. Capacities shown are typical steps in the ladder — intermediate and larger custom sizes on request.

Manufacturing Process

Spent Solvent Collection

Used prep-HPLC mobile phase and process washes are collected to a feed tank, where solids may settle and the batch is homogenised before recovery.

Pre-Filtration & Feed

The feed is filtered to remove particulates and metered into the distillation section, protecting the column and reboiler from fouling.

Fractional Distillation

Acetonitrile is boiled and fractionated overhead, separating it from water, buffer salts, acid modifiers and higher-boiling organic impurities.

Dehydration

A dehydration stage breaks the acetonitrile-water azeotrope and drives down residual moisture to the level required for chromatography-grade reuse.

Purity Polishing

The recovered solvent is polished to meet low-wavelength UV-transmittance targets so it behaves like fresh acetonitrile on the HPLC column.

Condensation & Collection

Purified acetonitrile vapour is condensed under cooling and collected to the recovered-solvent tank, ready for reuse or storage.

Residue & Water Discharge

Concentrated aqueous residue, salts and impurities are discharged for controlled disposal, leaving a much-reduced waste volume.

Closed-Loop Reuse

Recovered solvent is returned to mobile-phase preparation, closing the loop and cutting fresh-solvent purchase, disposal cost and emissions.

Applications

Acetonitrile recovery from preparative HPLC mobile phase
Solvent recovery in peptide purification and downstream processing
Reclaiming acetonitrile in pharmaceutical and generic-API manufacturing
Recovery of chromatography solvents in fine-chemical production
Solvent recycling for contract research and manufacturing organisations
Reducing hazardous-solvent disposal volumes and cost
General process-solvent distillation and dehydration
Closed-loop solvent management for green-chemistry initiatives

Key Features

High-Purity, Low-UV-Absorbance Recovery
Distillation and polishing return acetonitrile to a low-UV-absorbance grade that performs like fresh solvent on prep-HPLC columns.
Distillation Plus Dehydration
A combined fractional-distillation and dehydration route breaks the acetonitrile-water azeotrope to reach the low moisture needed for reuse.
300–10000 L/day Capacity
Configurable throughput from 300 L/day for small purification suites up to 10000 L/day for high-volume manufacturing.
Energy-Efficient Closed Loop
Heat integration and closed-loop operation minimise steam and cooling duty while keeping solvent vapour fully contained.
Cuts Solvent Cost & Waste
Recovering and reusing acetonitrile sharply reduces raw-solvent purchasing, hazardous-waste disposal volumes and environmental footprint.
Stainless-Steel Build & PLC Control
Chemically resistant stainless-steel construction with vapour containment and PLC control for consistent, hands-off recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an acetonitrile recovery system do?

It reclaims spent acetonitrile from purification streams — chiefly preparative HPLC mobile phase — and distils and dehydrates it back to a high-purity, low-UV-absorbance grade suitable for reuse. This turns an expensive waste stream into reusable solvent, cutting purchasing and disposal costs.

Why is recovering acetonitrile worthwhile?

Preparative HPLC and peptide purification consume large volumes of acetonitrile, which is costly to buy and to dispose of as hazardous waste. Recovering and reusing it in a closed loop substantially reduces raw-solvent spend, waste-disposal volumes and environmental footprint.

Is the recovered solvent good enough for prep-HPLC?

Yes. The system polishes recovered acetonitrile to meet low-wavelength UV-transmittance targets — typically around 90% at 200 nm rising to about 99% at 250 nm — so it performs like fresh solvent at the detection wavelengths used in chromatography.

How does it remove water from acetonitrile?

Acetonitrile and water form an azeotrope that simple distillation cannot fully separate. The system adds a dedicated dehydration stage that breaks the azeotrope and drives residual moisture down to the low level required for chromatography-grade reuse.

What capacities are available?

Capacity is configurable from 300 L/day for small purification suites up to 10000 L/day for high-volume manufacturing. The distillation column, dehydration stage, condensers and controls are all scaled to the customer's solvent mix, throughput and target purity.

Can it recover solvents other than acetonitrile?

Yes. While it is optimised for acetonitrile from prep-HPLC streams, the same distillation-and-dehydration platform can be configured to recover other common process solvents, supporting broader closed-loop solvent management.

Does Mechotech supply the system turnkey?

Yes. Mechotech delivers the acetonitrile recovery system as a complete plant — feed handling, distillation, dehydration, condensing, controls and heat integration — with design, manufacture, installation, commissioning and after-sales support, configured to the customer's process.

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Acetonitrile & Solvent Recovery System