Laboratory Oven

Laboratory oven is a convection appliance for general purposes in the scientific and manufacturing industries. Applications include sterilization, experiment management, drying, processing, and testing.

Operation
Selecting laboratory ovensA laboratory oven heats its contents via the principle of convection. The heating element is not located within the specimen chamber of the oven, but in a separate external envelope. This prevents radiant heat from affecting the specimen, but the resulting temperature of the oven walls is enough to heat and dehydrate a specimen.

Convective heat transfer is achieved by gravity or mechanical convection. In the former, cooler air is displaced by warmer air and directed towards the heating element until the entire chamber is up to temperature. Since this method has poor uniform heat distribution, energy waste, and a longer preheat time than mechanical convection, mechanical convection lab ovens are favorable. These types heat quicker and more evenly due to blowers and baffles in the oven chamber.

Air intakes and exhausts can be adjusted to withhold or release humidity, and are necessary to expel VOCs and fumes. Insulation reduces the rate of thermal transfer and is responsible for the energy efficiency of the oven. The oven itself is typically steel in construction which helps prevent radiant heat from the oven exterior. A locking door with robust gaskets provides user access to the oven chamber.

The essential functions are:

Drying: removing the moisture from the specimen and chamber as efficiently as possible.
Baking: heating a substrate without dehumidifying it.

Curing: the sample is physically or chemically altered by a slow baking and drying process.