A Simple Guide To Lab Moisture Analysis: Everything You Need to Know About It

Moisture analyzers, also known as moisture meters or moisture balances, measure the moisture content in samples. They can analyze gases, liquids, and solids and are particularly important pieces of equipment when it comes to testing certain types of products such as pharmaceuticals, food, plastics, fuel, and hydrocarbons. In this post, we reveal how moisture analyzers work and best practices for using them.

How Moisture Analyzers Work

The premise behind lab moisture analyzer is quite simple. They work using a Loss On Drying (LOD) or thermo gravimetric method to determine how much moisture is in the sample. Here are the basic steps:

• The moisture analyzer weighs the sample and records the initial weight.
• A heating element radiates infrared heat to dry the sample. (A few different types of heating element may be used in moisture analyzers, including halogen lamp, quartz lamp, metal, or ceramic.)
• The sample is weighed periodically until the weight no longer changes (this means the sample is fully dried).
• The final weight is subtracted from the initial weight to determine the moisture content.

If you need to find out the solid content of a sample, you simply subtract the moisture content from the initial weight.

Note that moisture doesn’t only refer to water. It includes any substance that will evaporate as a result of infrared heating, for example, alcohols and organic solvents.

Best Practices for Using Moisture Analyzers

Here are some tips to help ensure you get accurate results when using a moisture analyzer:

• Position the analyzer correctly. Make sure the unit is placed away from any sources of draft or vibration such as air vents or refrigerators. It should also be in a non-harsh, clean environment. High humidity, extreme temperatures, or excess dust could affect the accuracy of results.
• Take safety precautions. Assess the risk involved in heating your particular sample. Work in a fume hood where necessary and never try to dry explosive or combustible substances.
• Use clean sample pans. Used pans should be disposed of and you should only use clean, intact pans.
• Ensure an even sample spread. You should cover the entire surface area of the pan with a thin, even coating of sample.
• Don't overload the unit. Be sure to note the maximum capacity of the analyzer as overloading it could damage the internal weighing mechanisms.

Clinical Lab Carts: An Overview of the Most Common Models in Demand Today

A clinical lab cart is a mobile workstation that allows laboratory technicians to move around the lab with ease. Clinical lab carts are often equipped with a variety of drawers, shelves, and compartments to store equipment and supplies.

 Additionally, many clinical lab carts include a built-in sink for easy cleanup and a power strip to provide electricity to equipment. Laboratory technicians use clinical lab carts to perform a variety of tasks, such as preparing specimens for analysis, running tests, or producing results.

Importance of Clinical Lab Carts

A Clinical Lab Carts is an essential piece of laboratory equipment. If used properly, a clinical lab cart can improve efficiency and decrease the amount of time laboratory technicians have to spend at their lab bench.

Clinical lab carts will also help laboratory technicians perform their work more efficiently and accurately. Although clinical lab carts are not as big or expensive as other laboratory equipment, they are still very important.

Clinical Lab Carts are used to:

Store equipment and supplies that are often used in laboratories.

Save time and effort because laboratory technicians do not have to move around the lab to get supplies or perform other tasks.

Improve accuracy and efficiency, because clinical lab carts help laboratory technicians perform various tasks quickly and accurately.

How to Choose the Right Clinical Lab Cart

Choose a clinical lab cart with features that will best suit the needs of your lab. You will also want to choose a clinical lab cart that is easy to clean and store.

Ask your lab manager and your department head in advance about their needs.

Make sure the clinical lab cart you choose has a sink, power strip, and shelves for storing supplies.

Before you buy, make sure the clinical lab cart you choose has the number of drawers and shelves you need.

Choosing the Right Clinical Lab Cart for Your Lab

A clinical lab cart will help you save time and effort. You will also have the opportunity to increase your productivity. If you are in the market for a clinical lab cart, be sure to choose one that will meet your needs.

Clinical Lab Cart

The most common clinical lab carts are stationary carts. These are usually stocked with supplies such as pipettes (for drawing liquids), test tubes, beakers, and centrifuges. Stationary clinical lab carts are great for labs that have stationary equipment.

If your lab is stationary, you will want a stationary clinical lab cart. Like stationary clinical lab carts, stationary clinical lab carts are stocked with supplies such as pipettes, test tubes, beakers, and centrifuges.

You can also choose a clinical lab cart that is mobile. These clinical lab carts are very similar to stationary clinical lab carts. However, mobile clinical lab carts move around the lab with ease.

You can also choose a clinical lab cart that is built into a mobile cart. A mobile clinical lab cart is a clinical lab cart that is designed to move around the lab.

Clinical lab carts can be used in many different ways. You can use a clinical lab cart to store supplies or equipment. In addition, clinical lab carts will help you increase your productivity and save time.

Conclusion:

Clinical lab carts are an important piece of lab equipment. Clinical lab carts can be used in many different ways, and they will help your lab technicians save time and effort.

Things to know before busying Stainless Steel Workbenches

Purchasing new lab equipment is no more a hassle due to the availability of many reliable suppliers. But, the industrial workbench requires proper planning and consideration. You need to make the right choice while selecting industrial stainless steel workbenches for your laboratory. Thus, if you are confused about the factors, then here they are - 

Is there a difference between steel and stainless steel workbench?

There is a difference between steel and stainless steel workbench. It may sound similar, but the ingredients used are completely different in steel workbench - Here, carbon is used along with magnesium, whereas stainless steel is made of an additional ingredient called chromium.

Based on the requirement, you need to choose either steel or stainless workbenches. Stainless might seem to be more expensive than steel products. Other than this, steel has low carbon content, but both these materials have high deceptive to rust. It is more affordable than wood and has fungal resistant, water and moisture chemical resistance features.

Where can you use it?

These workbenches can be used in a variety of settings and are available in various sizes. Steel workbenches are used in every type of lab setting that you can witness, starting from animal research to pharmaceuticals to autopsy. Even hospital operating rooms, photography dark rooms or dental facilities rely on them.

Durability

If the product is durable, it will automatically catch hold of the users. But it is also important to understand the workbench features. But, the ones that look industrial may not always have the capability to withstand harsh chemicals. So, test it before you get a workbench for your lab.

Countertop choice

You get a variety of countertop choices, but each variety suits a particular project. So, look whether it is made up of any other chemical resistant laminate.

Customizable workbench 

Every workspace needs to get modified after a few years due to development in technology. And, the stainless steel workbench must be customisable to meet every specific requirement. Look whether the cabinet has shelf storage space and other utility options. 

Conclusion

Are you family with the term electrostatic discharge? This can be costly and also affect every equipment in the lab. So, choose the one which has static laminate. With Global Lab Supply, you can get a workbench that is equipped with modern features.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Stainless Steel Desiccator Cabinet

While working at any lab, you need proper storage space that can help you organised the samples and other items. A stainless steel desiccator cabinet provides the most convenient storage space. These are actually small jars that can be easily bought at a reasonable rate.

Products which are sensitive can be stored in this desiccator. You can also find non-vacuum stainless steel desiccator cabinets for ingredients whose integrity you do not want to change. Usually, these are made up of a flow meter, nitrogen gas purge port, steel door, glass window, etc. 

Based on your requirement, you need to make the right choice. Even you can also get them in different dimensions and sizes based on your storage necessities.

Durability

Consider the durability of the desiccator cabinets - whether they are able to withstand maximum capacity. They are made of heavy gauge stainless steel. And, test if they can store sensitive materials. Check whether they have facilities for humidity and moisture control. You can also consider the mobility aspect of the cabinet.

Additional Facilities

Cabinets must have additional facilities such as electro polished interior for smooth operation and passivation interior. They must have an auto-upgrade facility so that you can change to an electro polished shelf based on the demand.

Gas Accessories

Take a good look at the gas accessories and whether the flow meter is working properly. Look if there is a pressure relief valve or the nitrogen purge control includes a humidity sensor. This will help you get a flawless result and avoid any fatal accidents.

Lock System

Desiccator cabinets also come with an optional lock, or you can install one later. It would be best if you also looked very closely at whether the stand option has any powder-coated steel. However, you cannot interconnect the compartments through perforations. 

Conclusion

Based on the storage material of use, choose re-generable silica gel cartridges in their basics. And, this ensures that all the experiments are accurate and not tempered. Stick to the budget and look if the cabinet has all the requisite features at Global Lab Supply. Do not compromise with the features, but at other same time, do not opt for a cabinet with facilities that are not required for the time being.

Benchtop Laminar Flow Hood: Components

A benchtop Laminar Flow Hood/Cabinet is an enclosed workstation that uses filters to catch all particles entering the cabinet, resulting in a contamination-free work environment. Some of the components of Laminar Flow Hood are as follows.

Cabinet

The cabinet is composed of stainless steel and has few or no gaps or cracks, which prevents spores from accumulating. The cabinet insulates and protects the laminar flow's internal environment from the outside. The front of the cabinet has a glass shield that opens completely or has two apertures for the user's hands to enter the cabinet in some laminar cabinets.

Filter pad/Pre-filter

On the top of the cabinet, there is a filter pad through which air enters. The filter pad keeps dust and microorganisms out of the cabinet's operating environment.

Working Station

All of the processes will take place on a flat working station within the cabinet. The working station where the operation takes place is equipped with culture plates, burners, and loops. To prevent rusting, the worktop is composed of stainless steel.

HEPA Filter

Within the cabinet, there is a high-efficiency particle air filter, which helps to keep the working area sterile. Fungi, germs, and other dust particles are trapped as the pre-filtered air travels through the filter. The filter keeps the cabinet sterile, lowering the risk of contamination.

UV Lamp

A UV germicidal lamp may be included in some Benchtop Laminar Flow Hood, which sterilizes the cabinet interior and contents before the procedure. To prevent UV exposure to the user's body surface, the UV lamp should be turned on 15 minutes before the procedure.

Working or Principle of Laminar flow hood

The working of a laminar flow cabinet includes the air flow through the cabinet in a laminar pattern. To provide a particulate-free atmosphere, the device uses an inward air flow that passes through a single or multiple HEPA filters.

As part of the laminar flow of the air, the air is filtered and then expelled across the work surface. The air travels via a filter pad or pre-filter before entering the cabinet, allowing for a more efficient flow of air. The air is then directed to the HEPA filters by a blower or fan.

How to plan the Laboratory Shelving?

Designing a proper laboratory space means using every corner to its maximum potential. The first thing you should put on the list is to include storage and quick access equipment necessary for research and experiment. Thus, it is very much important to organise this equipment and appliances in order to make them easier to locate.

When you are planning to install laboratory shelving, then overhead shelves should be your priority because this helps to improve the laboratory organisation. And not only you can store samples but also chemicals. So, you get to know the exact location of these items easily.

It also saves your time, and you won't have to depend on anybody to search for any item. However, if you are still not sure why you should have shelving in your lab, then here’s why.

 

Organized

You need to store items frequently, and for that, you cannot free up counters that are already booked. Thus, shelves can be used in this scenario, and they also provide smooth and streamlined accessibility.

Categorized

It is not just about storing and maintaining a clean lab; you can also form a catalogue for every item. And then you can go through the list so that you can find them easily the next time.

Get things on demand

Suppose you are working on a new project and immediately require certain appliances or equipment. If you have shelves, then you do not need to pull out the drawer to find out the petri dish or sample tray.

Which shelving should you choose?

Now, there are various shelves that you can choose from - overhead, laboratory cabinets, shelves that are built into workbenches etc. You can also divide the shelves based on your requirement or combine them with upright cabinets.

Conclusion

Are you working in a shared lab? Then, it is essential to add shelves because different groups would be working on different projects and demand storage of materials and equipment. Thus, there is nothing better than shelves that can help you store them securely. So, if we are willing to maximize the lab space, then rely on Global Lab Supply for shelves. They are known to supply the best quality lab products.

Features To Look For While Choosing A Shaking Incubators

In most laboratories, you can find a shaking incubator as an alternative to a shaker. It is advanced software, and sophisticated programs make it easy to access. Moreover, being compatible with most of the accessories, you get versatile equipment.

Use it for a variety of applications, and you can also control the temperature for optimum function. But, you just cannot buy any incubator, it must have some qualities that can meet your requirement.

Are you confused? Then here are the features that you should consider while finding the right shaking incubators.

Consider the size

It would help if you got the perfect sized incubators based on the application. If you need to incubate samples, then decide how many you have to incubate in one go. Based on that, you need to find out the machine that has the potential to hold the capacity. Go for floor-model shaking incubators than the benchtop ones.

Features and facilities available

Consider the atmosphere and the features to control the temperature. Also check whether the machine can adjust humidity, UV lights, and CO2. The machine must also have the facility to sterilize the environment where the samples will be put. Look for additional support, such as refrigeration.

The motion of the incubator

Verify whether the equipment's shaking motion is directed towards the horizontal or circular, or orbital motion. This will decide whether the machine has the capability to mix liquids without any hassle. Further, if you are working on culturing cells, then the direction of motion is an integral part. You need to understand the orbit size and whether this motion is affecting the aeration of the culture samples.

Lighting features of the incubator

Get to know the lighting features of the shaking incubator. Some come with fluorescent light, which you can use to study photosynthesis. Further, if you are working on a project requiring frequent sterilisation, opt for the models with UV light bank features.

Conclusion

So, now you know exactly what you should look for while buying an incubator. Global Lab Supply has been a promising incubator provider that offers varied features, styles, and sizes. You can also get an incubator with an automated alarm system, digital interfaces, etc.