Function and Application of Laboratory Glassware Heating Equipment

James Jacso, Director of Sales/Engineering at Glas-Col, LLC, talks to AZoM about function and application of laboratory glassware heating equipment.

What are Glas-Col’s key laboratory, industrial heating and mixing technologies?

Glas-Col is a leader in laboratory glassware heating: ranging from small vials to large process size vessels.  In reference to the industrial heating, our products are used in many industries: pharmaceutical, petroleum, chemical processing, semiconductor, vacuum, gas, etc. Our mixing technology utilizes the most advanced systems available which are used in orbital, rocker, and overhead applications.

One of your key products includes evaporators. Why are evaporators an important component for laboratories?

If someone wants to dry off solvents they need an evaporator. It is a common theme in most laboratories.

What are the growing uses for evaporators and why is this equipment becoming essential in the food and beverage industry?

Determining the pesticide levels in what we are consuming is a very important topic these day and evaporators play an important part in concentrating the sample before further analysis is done.

How have evaporators evolved and what features have determined this change?

Most evaporators now use dry heat as the source for heating smaller sample sizes up to 250ml.  There are still a lot of open evaporator systems on the market, but several are now available in enclosures.  Advances in display technology and smaller control electronics have allowed more information to be viewed by the end user bringing us closer to automation of this process.

What parameters are controlled using Glas-Col’s evaporators?

There are the basic evaporators that just control the flow of Nitrogen to the sample. We also have systems that heat the source and the Nitrogen gas. Others include controlling the speed and pulsing action of the solution.

How are Glas-Col’s evaporators capable of reducing the consumption of nitrogen?

Our FlexiVap™ line allows each position to be turned on or off which is a patented process.  This is ideal for those in academic and government facilities who are still using Nitrogen tanks.

What other features make modern-day evaporators environmentally friendly?

Recapturing the solvent after evaporation is important for the environment. Many pull the vapours through a cold-trap to recapture the solvent, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere.

Are Glas-Col currently working on any new end-point detectors to help make its evaporators more efficient?

Yes, we are finalizing an end-point system for our FlexiVap™ system.  This is an adjustable sensor that will detect a level and stop the flow of Nitrogen and heat to the sample.

FlexiVap Laboratory Evaporator by Glas-Col.

How do you see your technology becoming more economical over the next five years to suite the demands from this market?

Our systems can be simple or as complex as the user demands.  A lot of time is spent talking to customers about their application and allocated budget. We want to build a system that will work for their application and also gives them the quickest drying times.

Where can we find further information on your services?

You can always go to our website or call us directly (800-452-7265) to talk about specific applications.  If there is not a standard vial size for one of the systems, we will have the customer work with our engineering department to customize the best system for their application.

About James Jacso

James Jacso (MS) is Director of Sales/Engineering at Glas-Col, LLC and has been associated with the Laboratory Products Industry for over 28 years.  Glas-Col is currently celebrating its 75^th anniversary as a leader in process heating, mixing and evaporation technology.