- The proposal system is designed to protect
- Person
- Product
- Environment
Isolation Glove Box systems protect materials or processes from the operator and/or the ambient environment. Isolation glove boxes may be configured to prevent specific kinds of exposure (to humidity, particles, static charges, low or high temperature, etc.)
A lab glove box is an enclosure that effectively isolates the interior process environment from the outside or ambient environment to protect the operator outside the glovebox and/or processes inside the glovebox. Gloves installed in the front- or side-panels allow user(s) to safely perform tasks inside the glovebox without breaking containment. Common applications include sensitive operations requiring controlled atmospheres, or handling of hazardous materials.
Containment glove box or barrier isolator designs protect the operator and/or ambient environment from the material or process inside the glove box. These glove boxes are commonly used to isolate hazardous or non-hazardous materials in the pharmaceutical, biological, and nuclear industries. ASV offers several designs of containment glove boxes.
A mail handling glove box protects personnel by providing an isolated environment to contain potentially hazardous powders or bacteria. This glove box can also be configured with negative pressure air filtrations systems to capture hazardous powders, vapors or fumes.
Closed loop or recirculating HEPA filter glove box systems are configured with a HEPA or ULPA filtered blower to filter and recirculate air free of submicron contaminants down to Class 10 particle requirements. Recirculating gloveboxes are useful for applications that also require an inert or low moisture atmosphere.
Open loop or non-recirculating HEPA filter glove box systems push ambient air through a HEPA or ULPA filter before passing into the glove box. The air is then exhausted through a second HEPA or ULPA filter to capture submicron powders or contaminants before exiting the glove box.
A controlled environment glove box (either isolation or containment) meets precise requirements for humidity, temperature, static safety, particulates, and/or other environmental conditions. Typically, controlled atmosphere glove boxes operate under a positive pressure of inert process gas or a negative pressure for fume or other contaminant removal.
Anaerobic and hypoxia chamber systems provide low oxygen environments to support microaerophilic bacteriology and hypoxia cell culture processes. An anaerobic chamber is designed to keep oxygen levels as low as possible, while a hypoxia chamber allows researchers to achieve a specific oxygen set point.
The material used to build a custom glove box must provide both a durable and effective isolation barrier. The material must also support the required conditions inside the glove box.
- Keep the below characteristics in mind to choose a material that best fits your glove box application
- Chemical resistance
- Cleanliness or particle control
- Electrostatic discharge safety
- Thermal extremes
- Vacuum or negative pressure
- Visibility
A stainless steel glove box provides the best combination of durability, chemical resistance, and cleanliness. ASV’s stainless steel glove box designs are available in 316 or 304 stainless steel. Safety glass viewing windows include fluorescent lighting to illuminate the interior work area. Stainless steel gloveboxes can also be designed to hold negative pressure or full vacuum.
Stainless steel containment glovebox is designed specifically for bio-pharmaceutical processes. These stainless steel glove boxes feature continuous seam welds, wide radius corners, and sloped bottoms for easy wipe downs and sterilization. The access doors are removable and auto-clave safe. Optional HEPA or ULPA filtration systems can be integrated to the glovebox to remove submicron powders and aerosols.
A plastic glove box is usually the lowest cost option, however is not the ideal choice for moisture sensitive applications. Although convenient, these portable glove boxes are hygroscopic and permeable, which allow moisture and oxygen to penetrate the enclosure over an extended time. A continuous internal positive pressure of inert gas helps to compensate for the permeable and hygroscopic characteristics of the plastic panels.
Acrylic glove box : lowest cost, lightweight, rigid, and provides full visibility.
Static-Dissipative PVC glove box : protects materials against electrostatic discharge (ESD) by safely dissipating surface charges. Elimination of attractive forces such as static cling also helps maintain low-particle conditions. Transparent with a slight blue tint, PVC panels support clear viewing of glove box-enclosed processes.
Polypropylene glove box : provides excellent chemical resistance against acids and solvents. Polypropylene gloveboxes have an opaque white material construction and include a lighting unit mounted to the viewing window.
Polycarbonate glove box : transparent with a slight gray tint, these units offer broad-spectrum chemical resistance, high impact resistance, and excellent thermal resistance (to 200°F / 93.3°C)
Nitrogen Purged Glove Box : A process gas or “purge gas” is used to displace moisture and oxygen-laden ambient air inside the glovebox. Generally, the selection of a process gas is based on its ability to retard chemical reaction, especially oxidation. Nitrogen is the most common process gas because it is inert, nontoxic, noncombustible, and relatively inexpensive.
Thus gloveboxes are often purged with dry Nitrogen gas to maintain an anaerobic and inert atmosphere that prevents unwanted chemical reactions, such as oxidation and hydrolysis.
