What is the difference between laboratory ovens?

Whether you’re drying, softening, aging or sterilizing, you have a choice of ovens and heating technologies to get the job done. Here is an overview of the different types:

Gravity displacement laboratory oven:

• Low-cost alternative (to mechanical convection ovens) when temperature uniformity is not of primary importance
• Used when the powder or material to be heated or dried is disturbed by the air flow produced by the fan.

Mechanical convection laboratory oven:

• It has a motorized fan to push air into the heating elements and into the enclosure
• The fan enables a more even distribution of air
• Designed for better temperature uniformity or faster heat-up/dry time

Safety oven:

• These mechanical convection ovens have a blower plate that protects you from injury in the event of an explosion inside the oven.
• Not explosion-proof – does not prevent the ignition of volatile substances
• In the event of an explosion, the blower panel will deflect the force of the explosion away from you

Vacuum oven:

• Use when you need a lack of atmosphere or inert atmosphere
• Heating takes place in a vacuum oven where there is no air movement. Place the sample rack in the apparatus so that heat is transferred from the side walls to the sample through the metal rack.
• It needs a separate vacuum pump