A vacuum drying oven is a versatile instrument with its applications in engineering, laboratory research and several other industries. This equipment is highly beneficial in carrying out delicate drying of various solvents. Tiny samples or parts of samples can be easily dried in these ovens. The environment inside the chambers of vacuum is maintained at a low-pressure gradient and as a result zero to very low oxidation takes place inside the oven during the drying process.
Various features in industries
These ovens are made to work at very high temperatures ranging from 200-250 degree C. However, it can provide low temperatures like 5-15 degree C as well. The inner volume of the chambers range from 20 to 150 liters and so the volume of vacuum drying oven depends of the scale of its usage. The insides are corrosion free and it shows resilience towards most strong solvents like acids and bases. The equipment’s are made up of mostly commercial grade stainless steel. Some ovens come with interior shelves that come with electrolytic coating or polishing that makes them resilient and easier to clean and maintain. This provides various options for several industries to carry out their drying task for special products in an effective way.
How vacuum oven work with under-pressure force
In the drying process an under-pressure ranging from 10-50hPa accelerates the whole work inside the equipment. This under-pressure helps in bringing the boiling point of any solvent down to room temperature. This is a feature of vacuum drying oven that permits heat sensitive materials to be safely dried inside the oven without causing any distortion to the material’s original characteristics. Even biological samples can be dried using this type of oven. This is also a faster way of drying a huge number of samples as drying process takes place quiet swiftly and fast inside such ovens. The chambers are filled with inert gases to prevent from oxidation.
Pumps and their usage in vacuum ovens
Vacuum pumps are responsible for the vacuum atmosphere inside a vacuum drying oven. For simultaneous operation of more than one vacuum oven all of them remain connected with a central vacuum pump. There are various pumps that can be linked to the vacuum chambers depending on vacuum applications or specific requirements. Such pumps are rotary vane, membrane or scroll pumps. Any of these can be fed to vacuum chambers depending on the suction requirements of the specific equipment.
Heating process of materials in vacuum pumps
As the chambers of the vacuum drying oven contain no air and vacuum, no heat transfer mechanism can take place inside it. The samples you need to dry must be directly connected with the heating surface. Mainly the materials are heat dried in two chief ways inside the oven. The sliding shelves are either heated through direct contact with the heating side walls or the shelves are directly heated by using carrier plates. Sometimes, these also come in contact with air jackets that provide heating directly.
Top features of vacuum drying oven
- The temperature control is accurate and is reliable for industrial use
- Strong and clear glass doors provide the feature of observation in interiors
- The materials used for construction are made keeping durability in mind
- The heating time is shortest compared to other techniques, and thus the industries are able to save a lot of time on this.
Safety measures related to vacuum ovens
A vacuum drying oven is usually safe equipment especially if you use an explosion proof version. Due to repeated use, flammable particles like fumes, gases, fog, dust etc. may come out of the oven. But if you are using an explosion proof model it will remain safe throughout. There are wide range of applications in many industries for vacuum drying oven. When looking for one in your industry, make sure to research well about the specifications to match well with your industry needs.
