A lab furnace serves numerous vital purposes, making it an indispensable component of every laboratory. Laboratory furnaces, like the majority of other furnaces, heat a sample inside the furnace chamber using a particular heat source. The method utilized to heat the furnace is called convective heat transfer, and it can be powered by mechanical or gravitational convection.
How does it Work?
Until the entire chamber reaches the appropriate temperature, warmer air displaces cooler air through gravity convection and directs it towards the heating element. In comparison to mechanical convection, this approach is noted to have poor even heat distribution, a longer preheat time and energy waste. The use of blowers and baffles in the furnace chamber makes mechanical convection laboratory furnaces a more common option since it helps to heat the chamber more quickly and evenly.
Application
Furnaces are extremely useful instruments in the laboratory with a variety of uses. Annealing is a common application that enhances the malleability and ductility of metal samples. Moreover, solvent removal, sterilization, evaporation, polymer curing, and polyimide baking can all be done in laboratory furnaces.
Box furnace
Products of a variety of sizes can be placed into box furnaces using swing-out doors or vertical lifts. Box furnaces are widely utilized in engineering, materials science, and chemistry because of their wide temperature range and ability to heat materials to 1800°C.
These furnaces may accommodate multiple samples at once and are available in a variety of sizes and forms. Heat-treating, calcining, pre-heating, tempering, and other high-temperature operations are carried out in this kind of laboratory furnace.
Tube Furnace
A tube furnace is generally used for melting and annealing operations. They have a cylindrical form and have a maximum temperature of 1800°C. The heating element in this horizontal furnace is encircled by a ceramic tube that is sealed on both ends. The samples are placed within the furnace tube's center, where they are heated.
Muffle Furnace
An externally heated furnace used for individual samples and low-temperature applications is called a muffle furnace. The sample is guaranteed to be pure because these furnaces are sealed off from the outside environment. Additionally, they are employed in the heat-treatment, washing, and sterilization procedures. Muffle laboratory furnaces can handle a wide range of materials, including glass, metals, polymers, and ceramics, and can reach temperatures of up to 1200°C.
High Temperature Furnace
High-temperature lab furnace are used widely in fields such as materials research and aerospace, where they can function at temperatures as high as 3000°C. These furnaces, which are usually made of graphite, tungsten, and molybdenum components, are used to test materials under harsh circumstances.
Crucible Furnace
Melting and heating metals, alloys, and other materials are done in crucible furnaces. These furnaces, which have a melting temperature of up to 1500°C, are frequently employed in the casting process. Graphite or refractory metal crucibles are used in crucible furnaces to contain the material that has to melt. Research in materials science and metallurgy makes extensive use of these furnaces.
Atmosphere Furnace
The purpose of an atmosphere furnace is to supply a certain atmosphere for the heated or processed material. The materials in these horizontal furnace can be heated to 1700°C. For uses such as brazing, sintering, and annealing, these furnaces are capable of creating regulated conditions. Gasses such as hydrogen, nitrogen, or argon are used within the furnace to generate an atmosphere that gives the sample a particular chemical environment.
Lab furnace are essential to the fields of research, engineering, and materials science. Selecting the ideal laboratory furnace for operations can be made easier if you are aware of the uses and capabilities of each type of furnace.