Basket Centrifuge
Basket centrifuges are the most basic kind of filtering centrifuge; they consist of a basket that rotates around the vertical axis of the machine. Centrifuges are used to separate particles from a solution. By spinning at a high velocity, centrifuges create a force much more powerful than that of gravity. Through this process, the heavier particles are pulled towards the walls of the centrifuge.
Balance is extremely important in basket centrifuges, as the load must be carefully balanced in order to prevent damage to the machine or personal injury. The easiest way to understand the way a basket centrifuge works is to think of a spin cycle on a washing machine; the basket inside the machine spins at such a high velocity that the majority of water is pulled out of the clothes and travels through the small holes in the inner cylinder, or basket. The basket of the machine is covered with a filtering cloth. When the basket is full, the speed decreases and the solid is scraped from the walls of the machine.
Basket centrifuges are used in many different applications. They can be used to isolate molecules in chemistry labs, separate uranium in nuclear power plants, test astronauts at NASA, wash clothes, clean water, and churn butter, in addition to a variety of other uses.