Laboratory equipments furnaces

LECO induction furnace, Laboratory Equipment Corp., St. Joseph, Mich. 

In the interest of efficiency, autosamplers have become increasingly important in analytical laboratories. Autosampling systems are now available for all three types of pyrolysis equipment furnaces. Curie point, and resistively heated filament... 

The production laboratory at the Herculaneum smelter performs quality analytical work for all the processes. The laboratory equipment includes a spark emission spectrophotometer, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer, wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, sulfur analysis equipment, and wet chemistry equipment. The laboratory conducts the analysis for all process materials, including sinter, blast furnace slag, lead bullion, all finished lead products, and environmental samples. 

Rhodium is silvery white with a high reflectance. Aqueous solutions of many of its salts are rose colored, giving rise to its name (from Greek rhodon, rose ). Platinum alloys with rhodium have an important use in thermocouples for the determination of high temperatures in furnaces and laboratory equipment Organic rhodium compounds have been found to be effective catalysts (homogenous) in pharmaceutical production of, for instance, the drug L-Dopa for the treatment of Parkinson s disease. 

This research was supported in part with funds from the National Science Foundation (CHE-0078701), the National Cancer Institute (1 R21 RR14062-01), the Roy J. Carver Charitable Tmst (grant 01-93), and the Department of Energy s Energy-Related Laboratory Equipment Program (tube furnace). The Siemens D5000 automated powder diffractometer was purchased with support from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Tmst. ... 

The furnace and thermostatic mortar. For heating the tube packing, a small electric furnace N has been found to be more satisfactory than a row of gas burners. The type used consists of a silica tube (I s cm. in diameter and 25 cm. long) wound with nichrome wire and contained in an asbestos cylinder, the annular space being lagged the ends of the asbestos cylinder being closed by asbestos semi-circles built round the porcelain furnace tube. The furnace is controlled by a Simmerstat that has been calibrated at 680 against a bimetal pyrometer, and the furnace temperature is checked by this method from time to time. The furnace is equipped with a small steel bar attached to the asbestos and is thus mounted on an ordinary laboratory stand the Simmerstat may then be placed immediately underneath it on the baseplate of this stand, or alternatively the furnace may be built on to the top of the Simmerstat box. 

Many of the technical problems of fabrication that formerly inhibited the use of titanium alloys in dental castings (164—166) have been effectively solved, and titanium castings may now be obtained for virtually any type of dental appHance at prices that are increasingly competitive. Special induction or electric-arc furnaces are necessary for casting titanium alloys, and this specialized equipment has, until now, been available in only a limited number of commercial dental laboratories. However, the relatively high price of this equipment, attributed to development costs, is expected to decline significantly this should help to improve the general availabihty of cast titanium appHances. 

Muffle furnaces. An electrically heated furnace of muffle form should be available in every well-equipped laboratory. The maximum temperature should be about 1200 °C. If possible, a thermocouple and indicating pyrometer should be provided otherwise the ammeter in the circuit should be calibrated, and a chart constructed showing ammeter and corresponding temperature readings. Gas-heated muffle furnaces are marketed these may give temperatures up to about 1200 °C. 

Laboratory furnaces. Several types of furnaces are used in the laboratory these are often available as commercial rigs, generally equipped with more or less sophisticated temperature measurement and control devices. As an alternative, a lab-made or commercial furnace and its temperature measuring devices may be connected to a multi-channel data acquisition/actuator/switch unit, to be programmed by a personal computer, in order to plan and carry out thermal treatments, to collect and retrieve measured thermal data, etc. 

Arc furnaces (cold crucible technique). Small, commercial, laboratory arc-melting equipment generally includes a high-vacuum/aigon atmosphere pumping... 

Electric tube furnaces of appropriate dimensions are available from various manufacturers. A model RO 4/25 by Heraeus GmbH, Hanau, FRG is suitable. However, a very satisfactory furnace can be built by any well equipped laboratory workshop at little cost and effort. The material required consists of thin walled ceramic tubing, 3.5 cm i.d., nichrome resistance wire, heat resistant insulation, and ordinary hardware material. A technical drawing will be provided by the submitters upon request. The temperature of the furnace can be adjusted by an electronic temperature controller using a thermocouple sensor. A 1.5 kW-Variac transformer and any high temperature thermometer would do as well for the budget-minded chemist. 

Risk assessment applies to all activities in the laboratory, including lifting heavy equipment and use of furnaces, for example, whether or not any hazardous substances are involved. The five basic steps in risk assessment are 1. Look for the hazards. 

A variety of heating equipment is used in a laboratory, namely, gas burners, plates, baths, furnaces, drying cabinets, etc. 

Instrumentation was, for a long time, rather crude by today s standards the furnace, the alembic, the separatory funnel, the filter, the balance. .. crude and cheap. Today, no modern analytical laboratory is equipped without millions of pounds spent on investments in optical, mass and NMR spectrometers, in high performance chromatographs and in electro-analytical equipment. 

Instruct others to keep a safe distance. Wear breathing apparatus, eye protection, laboratory coat, and PVA or Viton gloves.16 Cover the spill with a 1 1 1 mixture by weight of sodium carbonate or calcium carbonate, clay cat litter (bentonite), and sand. Scoop into an appropriate container and label for disposal by burning in a furnace equipped with afterburner and scrubber.17,18... 

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