Vacuum Generation Using Screw Pump Technology
VACUUBRAND® VACUU·PURE® screw pumps are unique, reliable, and versatile systems that can help establish a clean, deep vacuum to meet your laboratory’s needs.
Over recent years, laboratory applications have witnessed increasing demands in what has been a rising trend for high product purity and clean processes. To meet these challenges, oil-free and dry pump technologies have been considered for contamination-free operation. These pump technologies do not require operating fluids and thus eliminate the need for maintenance-related oil changes and waste oil disposal in addition to reducing operating costs and improving efficiency and sustainability. For processes involving aggressive gases and vapors, chemical resistance for a vacuum pump remains critical to ensure longevity of the pump and minimize maintenance.
VACUUBRAND® VACUU·PURE® 10 and 10C models meet the many challenges in adapting screw pump technology within research and analysis laboratories. VACUU·PURE enables contact-free rotation of the spindles, preventing and eliminating any occurrence of abrasion or wear and tear. This allows for continuous operation and low maintenance requirements with no scheduled maintenance to replace parts for wear and tear as well as oil- and abrasion-free operation. Consequently, the pumps facilitate an ultrapure vacuum as well as contamination-free exhaust air. The 10C version features chemically resistant wetted materials that allow the pump to be used for applications involving aggressive media. Both versions of the VACUU·PURE operate from atmospheric pressure down to the 10-3 mbar range with pumping speeds up to 9 m3 /h for the VACUU·PURE 10C and up to 10 m3 /h for the 10 version. As an additional advantage, the VACUU·PURE is air-cooled and does not require cooling water like some other pump technologies, extending their ease-of-use and flexibility.
VACUU·PURE 10 - ADVANCES IN MASS SPECTROMETRY WITH VACUUM TECHNOLOGY
The VACUU·PURE 10 is an ideal solution to support instrumentation including being used as a backing pump for high vacuum systems. There is no scheduled maintenance to replace wear parts and no need for oil-changes, allowing for continuous operation and contamination free vacuum supply. A representative example of the VACUU·PURE 10’s abilities involves its use to ensure a stable and clean fore vacuum for secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), for geochemistry applications, at the Canadian Centre for Isotopic Microanalysis (CCIM). Mass spectrometry generally requires a vacuum environment to avoid collisions of ions with molecules in the atmosphere as this may degrade the performance of the instrument. The appeal for the VACUU·PURE had to do with its lack of contact seals, which eliminated the need for extensive maintenance and replacement of worn-out seals, and its oil-free operation, which avoids vacuum contamination by hydrocarbons and particulates. The pump was initially deployed on an experimental basis to test its performance prior to its instrumental deployment. The stability and successful performance of the system led to its current role backing a turbomolecular pump for the ion detection chamber portion of the mass spectrometer at CCIM.
VACUU·PURE 10C – SUPPLYING VACUUM FOR CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS HOODS AT THE MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE
The VACUU·PURE 10C is the chemically resistant version of the VACUU·PURE 10. The VACUU·PURE 10C is unique thanks to its high chemical resistance using wetted materials made of chemically resistant polymers. A thick-walled PEEK encapsulation protects vulnerable parts such as the spindles and stator that come in direct contact with chemicals while eliminating the need for a cold trap in many cases to protect the pump and allowing its use with aggressive gases and vapors.
A notable example involves the use of the VACUU·PURE 10C to support work done in chemical synthesis hoods by the research team of Dr. Grazvydas Lukinavicius at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences. The research group is synthesizing fluorescent dyes and probes for imaging biological structures in living cells. Incorporating the VACUU·PURE 10C into their chemical synthesis hoods, the research team has been able to expand their use for tasks that require a vacuum below 1 mbar, such as the evaporation of residual solvents and the distillation of liquids with high boiling points. Being able to connect two synthesis hoods to one single VACUU·PURE 10C pump made it all the easier for the team to save on space and operation costs, while banking on its reliability and low maintenance requirements.
CONCLUSION
VACUUBRAND VACUU·PURE screw pumps are designed to generate a deep vacuum while eliminating process contamination from hydrocarbons and other particulates. There is no wear due to abrasion and no oil change requirements, resulting in continuous operation, reliable supply of oil-free vacuum down to the 10-3 mbar range, and low operating costs. The chemically resistant VACUU·PURE 10C version features chemically resistant wetted materials allowing the pump to be used with aggressive gases and vapors making the use of a cold trap unnecessary in many cases. The VACUU·PURE screw pumps elevate screw pump functionalities to the next level while uniquely adapting their functionalities for use in research and analysis laboratories.
To learn more, visit: