SEDIMENTATION IN THE ANGLE CENTRIFUGE

1. Using hemocyanin from Limulus polyphemus as a test material, the process of sedimentation in the angle centrifuge, operating both in vacuum and in the open air, has been investigated. 2. Sedimentation in a given field of force was found less efficient when centrifugation was conducted in the open air, because of thermal convection. 3. Correlations have been made with results obtained in the analytical ultracentrifuge, and a theory of sedimentation in inclined tubes has been presented to explain the experimental results. 4. It has been shown that under proper conditions the angle centrifuge may be used for approximate determinations of particle size. 5. Recommendations, based mostly on experimental evidence, have been made for improving sedimentation and interpreting results. 6. To counteract convective disturbances of either thermal or inertial origin, a satisfactory method has been developed which consists of furnishing the fluid under study with a synthetic density gradient, formed with sucrose or some other non-sedimentable material.