Important Equipments That You Must Store in Your Laboratory

A laboratory is such a place where important experiments are conducted. This is the reason why the place needs to be perfectly organized. There should various apparatus, elements, books and many other things. In a basic chemistry laboratory, we generally find a few equipments quite commonly. In the following section, a guide to those equipments will be provided. It is important to know about different accessories as well as equipments carefully. To create a perfect ambiance in the laboratory for working, it is important to get all the essential equipments at the right place. So, here are those laboratory equipments at a glance.

 

Safety Goggles

When you are working in laboratory, safety should be utmost priority, and there should not be any compromise on this regard. When it comes to safety equipments, we commonly go for the gloves for the hands, fire extinguisher, smoke detector and other safety gadgets. One of the most safety accessories that we generally miss out is the safety goggle. It is important to find good quality goggles for safety of the eyes. In chemistry laboratory, different kinds of researches or experiments are carried out with high reactive elements. These elements and gases can lead to permanent damages to the eyes. For example, ammonia in gaseous form can be dangerous for eyes. High concentrated acid splashes on the eyes can cause permanent damages.

Different Flasks for Storing Chemical Liquids

In order to store chemical liquids, flasks are used quite commonly. If you ask what are laboratory equipment and their uses, you should know about different flasks and their uses. For example, conical flasks are used for storing acidic substance. On the other hand, you shall find Florence flasks, which are also known as boiling flasks. This type of flask can be heated and the glass that is used for making the flasks comes with the power to deal with heating. It is to be noted that some flasks comes with caps. They should not be heated when the caps are closed. If they are required to be heated, only when the caps are open.

Funnels

For pouring liquids from one jar to another jar, you need funnels. This is basic laboratory equipment that you should have in store in your laboratory. Using funnels is important for two basic reasons. The first thing is that it gives convenience in pouring liquid from one jar to another jar. As a result, there is little loss of the chemical from the jar. The second important thing is that it does not cause any accidents. When pouring reactive chemical liquids, accidents may happen. That can be minimized by using funnels for the purpose of pouring liquid.

Thermometer

It is important to keep a thermometer for measuring temperature at the laboratory. This is a vital equipment or apparatus that you must keep in your laboratory. Using good quality thermometer is required, as sometimes measuring temperature of substances or liquids can be important for the purpose of research or experiment.

Apart from these crucial things, a few more apparatus or equipment’s such as Plastic Desiccator Cabinets, Glove boxes, flow hoods and many more are there. You should make a list of the equipments and keep them in store in your laboratory.

How To Use Vacuum Desiccator Cabinets?

Desiccators are storage cabinets with dry atmosphere which contain desiccants in sealable enclosures in order to prevent moisture sensitive contents like cobalt, chloride paper for further use. It has great role in protecting those hygroscopic chemicals from humidity which reacts with water. 

In static desiccation system, there are various sizes that vary between an in-line cartridge sizes to a larger cabinet that may be nitrogen purged, or may contain a desiccant tray. Whenever the lids of the desiccators are opened, the contents inside are exposed to atmospheric moisture. Therefore, the chemicals like alkali metals, which react fast with atmospheric moisture, are not appropriate for storing. Instead, schlock-type apparatus or a glove box may be more suitable for such kind of storage.

In some cases, desiccators may even be used for removing moisture from an almost-dry sample. But when it is considered that desiccator cabinets alone will not be enough for the purpose, Abderhalden's drying pistol may be used in that case.

How vacuum desiccator works?

Desiccator cabinet works by preventing oxidation of MSD in the cabinet by controlling moisture. When a porous desiccant such as the silica gel is used by Dri-Box, it removes water from air space by multi layer absorption. The thin layers of the water molecule are attracted to the surface areas of the desiccant in that process.

It also works by the process of capillary condensation in which most of the smaller pores are filled with water.

The purpose of using the desiccator during the cooling of the crucible

In a desiccator, heated materials are cooled in order to prevent it from accumulating moistures while it gets cooled. The interior of the desiccator will remain dry as the desiccant is at the bottom, and the moisture in the atmosphere cannot enter the container as it is completely sealed.

Why are you to cool the crucible before it is weighed?

If you put the hot crucible for weighing its mass, the convection currents will start happening in the surrounding air around the crucible. That is why, whenever you need to weigh a crucible, you must let it cool first as the heat from the crucible warms the surrounding air and causes it to rise upward and then it cools down and falls.

The way of using desiccators in laboratory

Most of the laboratory desiccators are round in shape and made of heavy glass. It is usually placed on a removable platform so that it can be stored properly in a laboratory.  The desiccant, such as Silica Gel, fills the space under the platform. The color changing silica has a key role as an indicator whenever it would be refreshed. Whenever the indicator gel absorbs moisture it typically changes from blue to pink. The other colors may also be used here.

There may be a stopcock included for permitting the desiccator to be evacuated. These kinds of models are actually known as vacuum desiccator cabinet.

While applying the vacuum of a desiccator, it should be properly strapped in order to minimize the damage to the desiccator by a sudden implosion. Vacuum grease is applied here to achieve a good seal.

To preserve moisture-sensitive components: Desiccator Cabinets

Desiccator Cabinets are used to store dry laboratory samples and moisture-sensitive components. These Desiccator Cabinets are also known as Nitrogen dry box or Nitrogen Desiccator cabinet. These cabinets are used to maintain low-humidity temperature to store some chemicals, laboratory samples, and other samples etc.

Desiccator Cabinets are constructed with clear acrylic, static-dissipative polypropylene, and stainless steel. Some of the additional features of these cabinets are box glass color, nitrogen gas ports, temperature monitor, and gas control unit. These cabinets are mainly used in semiconductors, aerospace, medical devices, bio-pharmaceutical, and electronics.

Different types of Cabinets:

Desiccator cabinets are classified into several types as per the requirement and need. Desiccator Cabinets are used in the various fields for the excitements and storage purposes. According to all these points, cabinets are made of different types.

Multi-Chamber Desiccator Cabinets:

Multi-Chamber cabinets are used to store a number of items. Because of this cabinet are made of a single chamber to ten chambers with low RH desiccants. The special features of this type of cabinet are with ESD options, automatic purge control system, and optional Nitrogen ports.

Silicon Wafer Desiccator Storage:

This cabinet is also a multi-chamber Desiccator cabinet with safe ESD Desiccator wafer carriers. This Desiccator cabinet is ideal for storage up to 12” diameter silicon wafers in wafer carriers. The special features of this cabinet are optional nitrogen ports and RH controller.

Pass-Through Desiccator Cabinets:

This one type of Desiccator cabinet with double side access doors, adjustable shelving, and this cabinet is also available in one to ten chambers. The special feature of this cabinet is Inert Gas purging.

ESD Safe Desiccators and Dry Boxes:

This Desiccator cabinet is available with static dissipative PVC construction and grounded system. These cabinets are suitable for clean room and storage systems for moisture-sensitive parts to electrostatic.

Single Chamber Plastic Desiccators:

This cabinet is are available with swing down door style and these cabinets are made of plastic. This cabinet is suitable for laboratories for experiments and portable also. It works great for maintaining humidity levels. The special features of this cabinet are airtight construction and ESD options etc.

Stainless Steel Desiccator Cabinets:

These Desiccator cabinets are available in a single chamber with heavy duty. This cabinet is rust free and adjustable removable shelves. The special features of this cabinet are Inert gas control module and optional electro polish etc.

Vacuum Desiccator Cabinets:

This cabinet will mainly use in vacuum testing. These cabinets are made of acrylic with heavy duty. This type of cabinets is enclosed for vacuum experiments. Vacuum Desiccator Cabinets are used in vacuum testing, degassing, biological tests, storing samples etc. All these storage samples and experiments will be carried under vacuum.

Conclusion:

These are all the different cabinets available for storing moisture-sensitive components, chemicals, and other items. These cabinets are mainly used in laboratories and mass storage systems etc. These cabinets are mainly used to prevent laboratory items or samples from damage caused by reactions with moisture and fungal growth.