Laboratory Ovens: What’s the Difference?

If you are drying, softening, ageing, or sterilizing, you have a choice of ovens and heating technologies to do the job. Here’s an overview of the various types:

Gravity Convection Laboratory Oven:

• Low cost alternative (to mechanical convection ovens) when temperature uniformity is not paramount
• Use when a powder or substance to be heated or dried would be disturbed by a fan-generated airflow

Mechanical Convection Laboratory Oven:

• Incorporates a motorized fan to push air across the heating elements and into the chamber
• Fan enables more consistent distribution of air
• Designed for good temperature uniformity or faster heatup/drying time

Safety Oven:

• These mechanical convection ovens contain a blow-out panel to protect you from injury if an explosion occurs within the oven
• NOT explosion-proof —will not prevent volatiles from combusting
• If an explosion occurs, the blow-out panel will direct the force of the blast away from you

Vacuum Oven:

• Use when you need a lack of atmosphere or inert atmosphere
• Heating occurs in a vacuum where there is no convection of air. Place the sample of the shelving in the unit so heat is conducted from the side walls to the sample via the metal shelf
• Requires a separate vacuum pump

View our full selection of ovens.