Glovebox

A glove box ( also glove box or isolator glove ) is a container which is hermetically sealed and gas-tight manner from the surrounding workspace. Inside the glove box, a defined atmosphere for processing sensitive or hazardous materials can be produced.

Designation

The name comes from the glove box handling of the material by means of rubber or plastic gloves, butyl mostly via respective ducts ( so-called glove -throughs, and glove ports ) extend into the box.

Properties

Glove boxes are usually made ​​of stainless steel or plastic. On the operating side, they are often equipped with Lexan or glass, to see the interior can.

Bushings with gas-tight (butyl ) gloves allow the isolated intervention in the interior, hence the name " glove box ". The transfer of materials via evacuated chambers or locks, as well as media connections.

There are two ways to minimize the effects of leakage: In the glove box there is either a slight pressure so that when a leak no air can flow ( unused gloves bulge out ) or a slight negative pressure to avoid dangerous substances out of the glove box can emerge ( eg when working with radioactive materials ).

Depending on the application, the atmosphere of the glove box is:

• Of specially filtered air, for instance for biological, medical applications ( insulators ) or nuclear technological areas ( barrier )
• Of inert gas, such as argon, nitrogen or helium, for example, for the production of batteries, halogen lamps, but also for special metal powder processing, TIG or laser welding, and the general processing of substances which are oxygen-or moisture-sensitive. These glove boxes work primarily in conjunction with gas cleaning systems and are referred to as " inert gas ".

Purposes

The purpose of the glove box is

• Shielding materials against environmental influences ( product protection).
• Conversely, to protect the environment from harmful effects of materials to be processed (personal protection).

Locations

Glove boxes are used both for research, development, as industrial production. Smaller systems are also used in mobile devices, such as special vehicles, armored reconnaissance vehicles, aircraft or space vehicles, like the Spacelab.

The applications are far reaching. Glove boxes are used among other things for the halogen and xenon lamp production, the lithium battery production and semiconductor manufacturing but also used for special welding techniques and the storage of environmentally sensitive materials. Another area is the use in nuclear facilities ( eg laboratories), in which certain radioactive materials, such as tritium or plutonium, must be edited.