Chemical Reaction Heating in Labs Made Safer, Easier and Less Expensive

Transferring heat evenly from hotplates to chemical reaction flasks in laboratories using oil baths and heating mantles can be hazardous. To overcome this, a British company has developed a solid block system that replaces oil baths and heating mantles, making the process not only safer, it says, but cleaner and less costly.

The precision-machined components in the DrySyn range from Asynt Ltd sit on a conventional hotplate with the reaction flasks or vials fitted into shaped dishes. This contact point provides an efficient and even transfer of heat into the contents, says the company.

As the components are solid, greasy film cannot build up on the flasks after use – as happens with traditional oil bath systems – making cleaning easier and avoiding contamination of hands and equipment.

“Heat transfer, using DrySyn blocks, is as efficient as that by oil baths because of the precision engineering. This ensures even heating of the flask contents and avoids the risk of fire or hot oil spills,” explains Dr Kerry Elgie, international product manager at Asynt. “The range is also less costly and more convenient than using oil baths as it avoids disposing of old, degraded oil – an important consideration as local authorities start to charge for such disposals.” Users also save on the costs of buying oil, especially the costly silicon oils recommended for use in alternative methods.
“As oils age and darken, it becomes more difficult to see colour and turbidity changes in the flask’s contents. Of course, this does not happen with DrySyn,” adds Dr Elgie.

Dangers of oil baths
The dangers of oil baths in laboratories are well documented. One university reported: “An oil bath caught fire within a fume hood. A laboratory worker tried to extinguish the fire using liquid nitrogen. As the liquid nitrogen came into contact with the oil, an explosion sent the hot oil in all directions. This caused first and second-degree burns to the face and head, and third-degree burns to the right hand.”

DrySyn blocks are compatible with any standard hotplate stirrer with a diameter up to 145mm, including Heidolph and IKA brands, and safely heat to 250°C. The blocks, which accept a thermocouple probe or fuzzy logic temperature controller, can be used with flasks from 1ml to 5litres. Made from aluminium, the blocks are light and satin-anodised for a durable finish.

The DrySyn Classic unit accepts single flasks, while the Multi range takes three flasks or 12 vials. The Multi M model can handle 250-ml vessels, and the Multi-S version 500-ml flasks. The range extends to a SuperMaxi model with a 5-litre capacity.