A vacuum glove box is a custom piece of equipment that transforms any space into an inert space for handling sensitive materials, specifically those that are flammable, reactive, or toxic.
Vacuum glove boxes are also used for activities that require precision control over the external environment, such as loading samples into instruments or drying delicate resin-bound materials.
A Vacuum Glove Box has two walls, four pieces rotatable joints and an adjustable door. These joints allow the operator to create a vacuum seal between both surfaces to ensure there are no leaks. The door can be rotated so it will open inside or outside of the glove box chamber, depending on where it is needed. The interior surface features a coating that resists corrosion to prevent contact with harmful chemicals.
Benefits Of Using Vacuum Glove Boxes Include
- Ensuring an inert or closed environment
- Facilitates the handling of hazardous chemicals and samples
- Reduces contaminants and other unwanted matter
- Improves safety and accuracy during activities such as sample loading, sample changing and cleaning
- Provides a clean, dry air or nitrogen atmosphere (depending on the model).
The vacuum glove box industry is still relatively young and there are few quality vacuum glove boxes in the market. While the cost of vacuum glove boxes is considerably higher, they provide many great benefits and, in some instances, a substantial increase in productivity over conventional methods of handling flammable or reactive materials.
Vacuum glove boxes can be purchased with custom accessories or from companies that manufacture multiple models.
Most models provide excellent performance in many situations.
Types Of Vacuum Glove Boxes
Here are some types of vacuum glove boxes that might be used in the lab or in the lab department of your facility.
Industrial Glove Boxes
Industrial glove boxes, also called laboratory glove boxes, are used in the fabrication of industrial processes. For example, some models can fit into standard, industrial-grade ovens for the production of items such as catalysts. Industrial glove boxes offer improved thermal stability, high humidity compatibility, and flexibility of design, as well as an inert atmosphere that is comparable to a high-performance fume hood.