LABEC CEMLS - Manual

Laboratory Equipment Pty Ltd email: [email protected]
Ph: 02 9560 2811 • Fax: 02 9560 6131 • www.labec.com.au
2013
INCUBATOR /OVEN/ FURNACE – SElECTION GUIdE
To assist you in choosing the right incubator/oven/furnace for your application, we have put
together this guide. By following the steps below, selecting the best piece of equipment for
your application should be made easier.
STEP 1: What is the maximum operating temperature required?
The maximum operating temperature of the apparatus determines what type of equipment
will best suit your application. In general:
• Incubators operate up to 80°C
• Ovens operate up to 500°C
• Furnaces operate to temperatures above 500°C to 1800°C
It should be noted that while these temperature ranges represent the maximum recommended operating
temperature for Labec equipment, they are somewhat conservative. This means that although an oven may have
a maximum operating temperature of 300°C, it can operate at this temperature for extended periods of time.
STEP 2: Size and Capacity
Two important factors in choosing an appropriate oven or furnace are its size and capacity.
• While it may seem very obvious, you should take into account and space restrictions in your
workplace.
• Decide on the maximum sample size and the amount of materials that you want to heat
at any one time to decide what capacity oven or furnace is most suited to your application.
As a general rule, ovens work best when less than 50% full. To make this easy, we have
provided both external, internal and chamber capacities for our entire ranges of
incubator, ovens and furnaces. We can also produce custom sizes on request.
STEP 3: Operation / Performance
Do you require rapid heating and high degrees of temperature uniformity? If so, you should choose an
oven with fan forced heating. These types of ovens can heat faster than models without fan forced heating.
The flow of heated air also improves recovery times (e.g. after opening the door), increased temperature
uniformity across the chamber and provides better ventilation.
While fan forced heating is not available on our range of furnaces, we do offer a muffle furnaces
with increased air flow for ashing or organic materials. If atmosphere control is important and operating
temperatures above 500°C are required, a tube furnace may be the solution. These can be made
multi-zoned to produce specific temperature gradients and can be easily adapted to controlled
atmosphere applications (e.g. flowing gases).
Remember, the placing of samples within an oven or incubator can affect the temperature uniformity
within the chamber, and sometimes event the temperature gradient through the samples.