IIT Bombay Chemical Engineering

Vacuum Desiccators, Weighing Balance, Oven

Purpose of Equipment
Vacuum Desiccators:Sealable enclosure to preserve the moisture sensitive/ hygroscopic samples under vacuum condition.Oven: Drying of Glassware.Weighing Balance:Sample weighing.
Type of the Facility
  • Experimental
Instrument Class
  • Sample Preparation
Status of Facility
Working Condition
Date of Purchase
16-03-2008
Source of Funding
Project Funds
  1. Vacuum Desiccators: Make: Autoclavable vacuum desiccators are made of transparent Polycarbonate dome with base of polypropylene with a silicon rubber O-ring to hold the samples in vacuum
    Availability in Lab
    ID
    		Total No.
    6 Inch
    		 1
    8 Inch 3
    12 Inch
    		 2
    Usage:
    1. Fill the desiccators with silica gel, place the polypropylene lid and keep your samples above this lid.
    2. Close with transparent dome, Polypropylene stopcock has a PTFE plug.
    3. Connect the desiccator to a vacuum pump with the arrow on PTFE plug facing towards the end where vacuum pump is connected.
    4. Start the vacuum pump, record the magnitude of vacuum obtained from the vacuum guage attached to the pump. Stop the vacuum pump and turn the knob of the PTFE plug (by 3600 ) to close the stopcock.
    Instruction for Users
    1. Keep the desiccators in vacuum condition even if empty, this prevents the silica gel from getting saturated due to ambient moisture.
    2. Wipe/ clean the desiccators once you remove your sample. Regenerate silica gel if required.
    3. Put a label on the desiccator if you have kept the sample inside.
  2. Oven: Make:Convection controlled (air) drying oven. Digital display electronic controller. Maximum Temperature Limit: 250 deg.C. Uniformity: +/- 1 deg.C of set value.
  3. Weighing Balance: Usage: Sartorius Analytical Balance: Model: BT2245/ serial no.: 22290143 Limits: 0.0001 gm to 220 gm Contech Precision Balance:Model: CA503 Limits: 0.1 gm to 500 gm
    1. Switch on the weighing balance.
    2. Use butter paper/ other glass ware for weighing the sample.
    3. Clean the balance and surrounding area after usage.
    Instructions to user:
    1. Fill in the log-book after usage.
    2. Keep the balance pan and surrounding area clean.
    3. Do not use bulky wares to weigh the sample.
    4. Auto calibrate the balance atleast alternate days.
    5. Put the balance on sand-by mode (blue button) when not in use. Do not “switch off” from the mains.
    6. If balance is “switched off” from mains it takes minimum half-an-hour for standardization on its own. Balance can be re-used after standardization.
    4. * Certified calibration done on July 15th ,2011.