A Guide To Different Types Of Ovens Used In Laboratories

 An oven is a chamber that can maintain a variably controllable temperature for heating & drying different samples in laboratories. Laboratory ovens are indispensable tools for many experiments, providing a controlled environment of heat, humidity, cleanliness and airflow not found in regular homes.

Common laboratory ovens include vacuum, gravity convention, forced air ovens, etc. If you are looking to get a new oven for your lab, then you need to go through all your options:

·         Laboratory Vacuum Ovens

These vacuums work on Coriolis Effect and are used in low-vacuum and high-vacuum applications. Vacuum ovens are primarily used to perform physical, chemical and thermal changes at various temperature ranges. The vacuum oven has a heating element, a temperature sensor, and an exhaust system for removing materials. Laboratory Vacuum Ovens provide an ideal environment for desiccating chemicals without heating them beyond safe temperatures.

·         Gravity Convention Ovens

These ovens are commonly used for drying. They are generally used to maintain the temperature in the 110-160F range and can be used for either conventional or convection drying. The heat radiates from upward-flowing hot air and can be modified with baffles, flaps or fans to perform other operations such as convection drying, cooking and baking.

·         Forced Air Ovens

These ovens have a fan that uses forced air circulation to transport heat through heating elements placed in the oven's chamber. They can perform all kinds of functions like cooking, baking and drying depending on the information provided about their make and model.

·         Convection Ovens

These ovens have fans that move hot air around a heating element to provide an even temperature throughout the chamber. They are usually used with gravity ovens to dry samples under a gentle upward hot air flow. These convection ovens are used to dry samples by removing moisture through sublimation.

To Sum Up!

Laboratory ovens come in different types, and all serve a specific purpose. It is best to know your purpose and then select an oven that can give you the best results. Vacuum ovens work well for low vacuum, and gravity convention is best for drying, forced air for baking & cooking and convection for mixing.

Tips for Proper Handling of Laboratory Desiccators

 A laboratory desiccator is a device used to remove moisture from the air before it enters an enclosed space. This can prevent the growth of mould and bacteria, as well as limit the risk of fire. However, laboratory desiccators should always be used with care and caution.

Many potential hazards are associated with using this device, such as hazardous spills or exposure to toxic chemicals. Nevertheless, there are a few tips that you should keep in mind while using desiccators to ensure safety around your workplace:

1.      Check For Leaks For Before Using

Be aware of any possible leaks in your desiccator, especially if you have noticed moisture seeping out around or under seams. Do not attempt to repair any leaks until you have consulted a professional repair technician or well-trained expert. It is always better to replace the old desiccant with a new one than risk exposure to potentially harmful chemicals or bacteria in your air supply.

2.      Keep It Ventilated

While each Laboratory Desiccator has different characteristics and needs, it is important to remember that all must be properly ventilated. A properly constructed desiccator should not cause any problems for you during use. Still, a poorly built unit could result in your being exposed to harmful chemicals or lead to injuries from falling objects.

3.      Regular Cleaning For Long Term Use

One of the best ways to ensure that your desiccant is less prone to exterior tampering is by keeping it clean and free of dust or other contaminants. Make sure that you are cleaning your desiccant regularly, even when it is empty, to prevent the growth of unwanted contaminants.

4.      Store It Securely

The safest way to store a desiccant is in an upright position. This will allow the greatest amount of air to pass through during use and keep dust from accumulating and blocking any openings. However, if you find any problems with your desiccator, it is best to store it on its side so that moisture cannot accumulate over time. If you want to learn about Laboratory Desiccators, click here.

Conclusion                                                                                                              

A laboratory desiccator is an important equipment that should be used and handled with care. There are a few tips and guidelines that you should keep in mind to ensure the safety of yourself, your co-workers and the possible surrounding environments.

Is It Wise to Use Portable Ductless Fume Hoods In Lab?

 A portable ductless fume hood is a small, self-contained device that quickly and efficiently removes hazardous fumes from the lab. These fume hoods are versatile and can be easily transported to any lab, even while a process or experiment is still running.

In an emergency, there would be time to remove the equipment and chemicals from the room instead of rushing out themselves. This would preserve greater safety as well as prevent damage to the surroundings. Take a look at these pointers to understand why your lab needs a portable ductless fume hood:

ü  Suits Every Need

Before you purchase a ductless fume hood for any purpose, you must understand your lab's needs. What are the activities that occur in your lab? Do these activities require great ventilation or just a few minutes of exposure? Knowing this will help you focus on an appropriate device.​ Regardless of your needs, a Portable Ductless Fume Hood will suit almost every type of lab to create a safe environment.

ü  Convenient

Another advantage of using portable ductless fume hoods in labs is they are extremely easy to assemble and use. They even include an adjustable height that makes it convenient and easy to work in. Later on, when the hood is not required, it is simple to pack up and store away in its original box where it came from.

ü  Versatile

These products are also highly adaptable. They can be easily used with both bench tops and lab tables as well as with overhangs, ceilings and beams. Another thing to love about portable ductless fume hoods is that they feature an open back. This enables the airflow to be stopped at any time, safely allowing you an opportunity to move in and out of the area.

ü  Economical

Many companies choose portable ductless fume hoods because they are extremely cost-effective solutions in comparison to larger fume hoods that require permanent installation and ventilation systems, not to mention the costs of these systems themselves.

All it takes is one spark or open flame in a room full of volatile chemicals, and all that's left are fumes and rubble. Therefore, get portable and ductless fume hoods to clear out toxic fumes from your lab to avoid accidents. These fume hoods are available in variable sizes to meet different requirements.

Why Choose Horizontal Flow Hoods for Your Lab?

 For any lab using chemical, biological or hazardous materials, it is crucial to control and contain the flow of air to prevent contaminants from escaping and entering the work area. Horizontal flow hoods are an excellent solution for these labs because they provide a barrier between workers and overhead chemical contamination.

They also offer superior filtration than conventional hoods because they are vertically aligned. Here are a few reasons why horizontal flow hoods are best for your labs:

1.      Better Control Over Contamination

Horizontal hoods offer a better barrier from airborne contaminant exposure than any vertical hood on the market. This is because the air can be filtered from the top and bottom, which filters out contaminants from above, below and both sides. Vertical hoods are only filters for contamination coming downward, leaving contaminants to enter or exit from gaps in the top of the unit.

2.      Improved Employee Safety

Horizontal flow hoods achieve greater internal filtration than vertical hoods because their design allows for greater airflow, increasing filtration ability. This also improves employee safety since they provide more overall protection than a vertical unit. You can create a safe working environment inside your lab and ensure that all toxic fumes are taken care of. Horizontal Flow Hoods have built-in pre-filters to reduce particulate and liquid contamination exposure.

3.      Better Applications

Horizontal units are better at containing hazardous materials within a lab because they filter horizontally and vertically (as opposed to only vertically). They are also better at containing hazardous materials within a lab because their design allows for multiple filter changes, eliminating the need for expensive replacement filters or parts.

4.      Longer Filter Life

Horizontal units allow for greater airflow, filtration area and efficiency than vertical units. These factors contribute to longer filter life and more consistent filtration/ventilation. In addition, the lower amount of filters in a horizontal unit (as opposed to vertical) means that they can be cleaned less frequently, thus saving both time and labour costs on the user's part.

A horizontal fume hood is designed to be reused instead of disposable, which saves you money and extends its useful life. There is no need to worry about where you place chemicals since horizontal flow hoods will simply pull them out of your work area as required.

 

What Are Gravity Convection Ovens, and Why Do You Need One?

 

Gravity convection ovens for laboratories have a unique design that works without using any blowing fan. It works on the principle of thermal expansion of hot air, which proves to be a cost-efficient alternative. They're also better at retaining heat and drying chemical compounds to yield better results in any thermal expansion.

These gravity convection ovens prove to be of great help in certain sensitive experiments, temperature control, and evaporation of chemicals. However, a brief introduction to the basics of gravity convection ovens is essential to make the best of use.

Gravity Convection Ovens For Lab                 

Gravity convection ovens work by air currents that form due to thermal expansion. The hot air rises, hit the ceiling, and then falls back down continuously, resulting in uniform heating of the material within the oven. Gravity convection ovens are designed with a separate entrance and exit to ensure that items placed within do not get burnt or damaged due to direct contact with hot air.

The working mechanism of Gravity Convection Ovens is similar to that of forced convection ovens; they differ only because they don't use any blower fan or circulating pump. Instead, the heated air inside the oven rises upwards by buoyancy while cool air flows in from the bottom, which in turn helps heat the material inside.

Why Do You Need One?

In addition to saving cost and energy, gravity convection ovens are ideal for drying chemical compounds. The air within is heated along with the material placed in them, and the convection currents lead to an even distribution of heat.

Temperature can be easily maintained at the desired level by controlling the flow of coolant from the bottom. This allows you to adjust the temperature per your required field and get optimum output. Take a look at these pointers to understand the importance of these ovens in your lab:

ü  Control Temperature

Since these ovens work without electricity, they allow easy temperature control. You can easily adjust the heat and maintain it at the desired level. In addition, the flow of coolant from the bottom can be adjusted as per requirement, which further helps to keep the temperature at an optimum level.

ü  Uniform Heating

The heating in gravity convection ovens is uniform throughout because the air currents induced are balanced and don't end up affecting a particular area within the oven, like in forced convection ovens where heated air rises. However, hot air tends to hit one side of the material placed due to a lack of airflow.

Thick glass makes up the walls of these ovens, which helps retain heat for a long duration; this proves helpful in temperature-sensitive experiments that require heating or cooling at a constant rate over a long period. For example, it can help dry different chemical compounds by evaporation.

Four Features of a Premium Quality Cleanroom Table

 If you're in the market for a new cleanroom table made of high-quality materials and advanced functionality, you've come to the right place. Unfortunately, with different companies selling different cleanroom tables, finding the best pick for the bench is not always easy.

However, there are a few things you can look for while buying cleanroom tables for your laboratories. Below are some features of a premium quality cleanroom table that will make your work easier, more efficient, and safer than ever.

1.      Heavy-Duty Steel

A premium quality cleanroom table is made of heavy-duty steel to withstand the repeated use and abuse of working in a lab or industrial setting. The thick metal legs are designed so they can't be accidentally knocked over, while the round edges will avoid awkward collisions when they inevitably happen. The table must be made from heavy duty steel with long shelf life. 

2.      Noise-Absorbing Foam Cushions

While buying Cleanroom Tables, make sure they have soft and comfortable foam padding to keep the surface of your workstation and your equipment in pristine condition. These noise-absorbing cushions prevent excess vibration, which can damage sensitive equipment. The foam is also sealed so it won't absorb water, oil, or other chemicals that may splash onto the cleanroom table.

3.      Casters with a High Grip Surface

Casters are essential to a high-quality cleanroom table because they provide balance and mobility for your workstation. A premium quality cleanroom table will have a smooth, solid surface to enhance your working grip. Additionally, the wheels are made of heavy-duty steel to ensure they won't be easily knocked over.

4.      High-Quality Safety Locks

A premium quality cleanroom table is made with safety locks so your workstation can remain in place while you're working or when a spill or spillage happens. The safety locks are designed to prevent accidental falls and keep the workstation stationary. A premium quality cleanroom table will protect your employees from hazardous spills and leaks and keep your sensitive equipment in pristine condition to maximize productivity in all areas of your business.

5.      Easy Assembly

We all know it is hard to assemble a cleanroom table and its components, but a premium quality cleanroom table will have straightforward assembly. In addition, the parts are already pre-packaged, so you don't have to be concerned about installing them incorrectly or making mistakes while building your cleanroom table. A premium quality cleanroom table will also require minimal maintenance, which can prevent unnecessary costs down the road.

Conclusion

Many types of cleanroom tables are available to the manufacturing, biotechnology, and testing industries. However, not all cleanroom tables are created equally. That's why purchasing a high-quality workstation will provide stability, safety, and comfort for your employees and workers is important. 

Why are Laboratory Ovens Essential for Every Lab?

Laboratories are essential for all types of experiments, and a standard lab should have a range of equipment. Laboratory ovens are an indispensable part of every lab because they can be used for many different things. In addition, a laboratory oven is more accurate than an ordinary kitchen oven at very low or high temperatures.

These laboratory ovens are important to a laboratory because they can heat substances to test how certain temperatures affect the properties and reactions, i.e., thermal analysis. Consider these below-shared points to understand the importance of laboratory ovens:

Ø      Supports Heat Related Experiments

A laboratory cannot work without ovens because they can complete different experiments, such as melting and crystallization, with caution, heating, and mixing up compounds. It can also be used for drying solvents so that they will be able to evaporate more easily from solutions when needed, making it easy for labs that need a lot of samples dried quickly.

Ø    It fits Different Types of Sample Sizes

These Laboratory Ovens are the perfect tool for labs because they can dry different types of samples in different sizes, such as catalysts, ceramics, and glasses. It can also heat any item that needs to be heated up, but it has a smaller diameter than the kitchen oven. Additionally, these ovens are more accurate at lower and higher temperatures than conventional forced air ovens.

Ø     Saves Time and Money

It is essential to know that the rates at which samples are heated in a lab are much faster than what you will find in an ordinary oven. This is because these ovens have thicker walls, allowing them to retain more heat than what you will find from other types of kitchen ovens. Also, using a lab oven doesn't cost to lose of the quality of the substances after being heated, making it an important material for all types of labs.

Ø     Can be Used for all Types of Experiments

Many experimenters find that laboratory ovens are crucial to their experiments because they can heat all kinds of samples so that they can be done in a short time. This will lead to getting the desired results faster, leading to more accuracy and precision in their experiments. In addition, it is also important to know that a lab oven is not only used for heating substances; its potential applications also include drying solvents and other materials like glassware, ceramics, and catalysts.

A laboratory is incomplete without an oven because it is a critical piece of equipment for all types of experiments, and there will not be any other way to heat or test temperatures properly. Furthermore, an oven is essential for laboratories because it helps achieve the most accurate results in experiments.