How long will it take to freeze dry my samples?

Customers and potential customers often contact us with the question, How long will it take to freeze
dry my samples? The short answer: It depends. With a wide range of sizes and collector temperatures,
FreeZone Freeze Dry Systems and their accompanying Fast-Freeze or Lyph-Lock flasks are suitable for
a vast number of freeze dry applications. Given these numerous potential applications, the length of the
freeze dry process can vary.
Take plant samples, for example. Plant tissue that is freeze dried in a 1L freeze dry
system using a 120 ml flask can take less than 24 hours to finish the
lyophilization process. However, another user that is lyophilizing plant samples in
900 ml flasks on a 6L freeze dry system may need to wait over 48 hours until the
freeze dry process is complete. Similarly, freeze drying solvents can take less than
24 hours while using a 40 ml on a 2.5L freeze dry system, but over 24 hours when
using a 120 ml flask on a 12L Cascade freeze dry system.
The fact is that the freeze drying process can vary in length depending on a variety of factors. Sample
size, flask size, freeze dry system size, sample temperature and vapor pressure can all affect the length
of time needed to complete the lyophilization process. While it may be difficult to provide exact time
for each and every freeze dry application, it can certainly be helpful to have a guideline or starting point
for your application. Below is a list of customer-provided data, including common freeze dry
applications, as well as the size of the FreeZone unit and flask used in these specific scenarios.
Remember, these are just examples of how some customers are using their FreeZone freeze dry systems.
The process times below are approximate and should just be used as guidelines. Time for your
application may vary depending on the factors listed above.
Application
Algae cells
Aqueous Protein Samples
Biological Materials
Blood/Plasma
Cancer Ligands
Clay/clay components
DI Water
Dry plant material
Food samples
Fresh plant material
HPLC
Human Tissue
Nanoparticles (in aqueous)
Peptides, 10% acetic acid
PLGA
Polymers
Solvents
Water/Acetonitrile
Wet sediment

Unit size
6L Console
1L
2.5L Benchtop
6L
1L
12L Console
1L
4.5L Benchtop
6L/Bulk Tray Dryer
18L
12L Cascade
Triad
4.5L
2.5L Cascade
4.5L
2.5L Benchtop
Triad
2.5L Cascade
4.5L

Flask size
750 ml
120 ml
900 ml
600 ml
120 ml
900 ml
750 ml
900 ml
600 ml
900 ml
750 ml
80 ml
40 ml
150 ml
600 ml
600 ml
900 ml
600 ml
900 ml

Typical length of process

Over 24 hours
Less than 24 hours
Less than 24 hours
Over 48 hours
Between 24-48 hours
Over 48 hours
Less than 24 hours
Over 24 hours
Over 24 hours
Over 48 hours
Between 24-48 hours
Over 48 hours
Over 24 hours
Less than 24 hours
Over 24 hours
Over 48 hours
Over 24 hours
Over 24 hours
Between 24-48 hours