Top 5 Things You May Not Know About Chillers and Baths
1. In 1748, artificial refrigeration was demonstrated for the first time by William Cullen of Glasgow University, UK.
2. In 1851, the first ice-making machine was invented by John Gorrie. Ice baths quickly became a popular way of cooling reactions and other lab processes, and this low-tech technique is still frequently used today.
3. In 1921, the first centrifugal water chiller was patented by inventor Willis Carrier. Before this time, chillers used a reciprocating compressor to move the refrigerant through the system. The main part of a centrifugal chiller is the centrifugal compressor. The design of the first centrifugal compressor was similar to the centrifugal blades in a water pump.
4. During the 1900s, lab processes that required elevated temperatures tended to be heated directly over a flame, or conducted in a water bath which was itself heated directly. However, the number of naked flames used in labs at this time represented a major fire hazard, particularly as many of the solvents being heated were highly flammable. This problem was resolved in the 1930s by husband and wife team Glen and Ruth Morey, who invented the heating mantle, a reliable and non-flammable heating device with electric resistance wires woven into a fiberglass cloth sheath. The first heating mantle was sold in 1939.
5. In 1950, the first industrial chiller was designed for use in the plastics industry.
Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a Chiller or Bath
1. Does the product have any exclusive features? What sets it apart from other vendor’s chillers or baths?
2. Is the vendor ISO 9001 certified?
3. What refrigerants are used in the product? (This is applicable to chillers and refrigerated baths/circulators.)
4. Are the products energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and in compliance with RoHS guidelines? (No heavy metals used in printed circuit boards, etc.)
5. Can old/broken units be returned for disposal in an environmentally friendly manner? (Refrigerants reclaimed, metals and other materials recycled, etc.)
6. Does the company accept trade-ins and, if so, what happens to the old unit? (Should be disposed of properly.)
Need more help in finding the right chiller or bath for you? Check out our Baths and Chillers Product Finder.
Recently Released Chillers and Baths
VersaCool Refrigerated Recirculating Bath
- Features a new “headless” design suitable for use as a recirculating refrigerated bath or heated circulator to circulate fluid from the bath to specific applications
- Can easily be used on or under a bench, fume hood, industrial and even mobile installations
- Advanced communications and control features are designed to ensure that samples are properly maintained
Thermo Fisher Scientific
www.thermofisher.com
LX Economical Immersion Circulator
- Suited for basic liquid heating applications in baths as large as 20 liters
- Combines simple, intuitive operation with a large digital display to deliver convenient temperature control for a variety of day-to-day laboratory applications
- Features a temperature range of ambient +10° to 98°C and ±0.07°C temperature stability
PolyScience
www.polyscience.com
Presto A40 Temperature Control System
- Made for highly precise temperature control and rapid temperature changes
- Provides large heating and cooling capacities covering a working temperature range from -40°C to +250°C
- Highly efficient components allow extremely fast compensation of exothermic and endothermic reactions
- Features an integrated 5.7’’ industrial touchscreen
- Also includes permanent internal monitoring and self-lubricating pumps
JULABO
www.julabo.com
TC-550SD Circulating Bath
- Provides temperature control from -20°C to +170°C for Wells Brookfield Cone/Plate Viscometer and standard accessories like Small Sample Adapter™, Enhanced UL Adapter™, and DIN Adapter
- Accommodates one 600mL beaker containing test sample for temperature conditioning
- PC control using Rheocalc T Software allows automated temperature profiling of materials by bath working with viscometer
Brookfield
www.brookfieldengineering.com
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