Lab Oven Features

Thermo Scientific ovens are uniquely designed to support your laboratory needs. Explore the features. 

Heating and Drying Ovens

Heating and drying oven convection technology provides optimal temperature distribution.  

Gravity convection

In a gravity convection oven, the temperature distribution is based on warm air moving upwards. There is no fan that actively distributes the air inside the chamber. The benefit of this technology is very low air turbulence for gentle drying and heating.

Mechanical convection

In a mechanical convection – or forced air – oven an integrated fan actively moves the air inside the chamber. This results in an even temperature distribution throughout the chamber. One benefit is optimal temperature uniformity for reproduceable results. For example, this type of convection is ideal in material testing and for drying protocols with very tight temperature requirements. Another advantage is a faster drying process compared to gravity convection. When opening the door, the temperature will recover faster to the set temperature level in a mechanical convection oven.

Maximize your heating and drying capabilities with flexible shelving configurations

Heating and drying ovens have a flexible shelving system that allows the insertion of shelves at virtually any desired position.  Our smallest Heratherm Oven available at 50-75 liters can hold up to 13 shelves, while the largest two Heratherm Ovens with capacity of 380-750 liters can hold up to 39 shelves.

 

All thermo scientific shelves are removable for ease of cleaning.

A wide temperature range can support varied uses of heating and drying ovens.

Select Thermo Scientific heating and drying ovens are capable of operating at up to 330°C, and as low as ambient +10°C. See the chart below to select the right model of heating and drying oven based on your temperature and application needs.

 

Application Material/Sample Sample Requirements Recommended Heratherm Heating & Drying Oven

Drying

Glassware

Fast drying

Gravity convection ovens for gentle drying, mechanical convection for fast drying.
 

Advanced Protocol Ovens for highest temperature accuracy and selection of fan speed.
 

Advanced Protocol Security Ovens for additional sample safety. 
 

You may also consider a Thermo Scientific vacuum oven for speedy drying at low temperatures.

Powders

Temperatures between 37°C and 70°C

Paper, textile

Temperature around 37°C

Soil, sand

Temperature around 37°C

Electronics

 Temperatures around 37°C to around 50°C
Pharmaceutical preparations

Temperature around 37°C

Material testing

Cables

Highest temperature accuracy; safe processes

Advanced Protocol Ovens with programming capabilities. Select the mechanical convection models for our highest temperature accuracy.
 

Advanced Protocol Security Ovens offer additional sample safety. 

Plastics

Highest temperature accuracy; safe processes

Curing

Paint

Gentle heating

Gravity convection for gentle heating Advanced Protocol Ovens for high temperature accuracy – low fan speed is appropriate for gentle heating needs.
 

Advanced Protocol Security Ovens for additional sample security.

Adhesives

Gentle heating

Plastics

Gentle heating

Metals

Gentle heating

Heated storage

Pills, drugs

Gentle heating, safe processes

Volcanization

Rubber

Gentle heating

 

Vacuum Ovens

Conduction creates an optimal heating environment in vacuum ovens.

Heat transfer under vacuum

Heat transfer to samples in a vacuum is mainly reached via the shelving. Unlike in regular heating and drying ovens, there is no heat transfer via convection. A good contact of the samples with the shelving is therefore crucial for the heating and drying effectiveness. If samples are in containers, it’s important that the containers have a good temperature conductivity.

 

How to measure temperature in a vacuum oven

To measure the chamber temperature, the probe needs to have full contact with the shelf. For best results it is recommended to connect the probe with a piece of metal with high temperature conductivity. 

Tips for inert gas applications

The use of inert gas atmosphere might be required to avoid oxidation processes, related to presence of oxygen. If the application requires replacing the vacuum with an inert gas, use only a non-combustible, nonflammable, non-corrosive gas – such as nitrogen or argon. Purging the chamber several times will help reduce the oxygen content to a minimum.

Note that vacuum ovens chambers are not made for positive pressure. The gas inflow therefore should be controlled and conducted with low pressure.

 

A precision valve is incorporated into the inert gas connection so that the gas can be dispensed accurately, reducing drying times and helping to reduce or prevent condensation. Furthermore, the precision valve can safely prevent blowing of powders when the vacuum chamber is ventilated. 
 

Vacuum ovens provide a gentle and controlled drying environment for delicate samples

Using a vacuum for drying requires a lower temperature than standard drying ovens. Under a vacuum humidity evaporates below the usual boiling point of the liquid that needs to be removed – resulting in a gentler drying process for delicate samples. Process times are up to six times faster than in conventional drying ovens.

 

This graph illustrates that water will evaporate at a much lower temperature than 100 °C, with lower pressure inside a vacuum oven.

 

Offered with various temperature ranges and sizes, Thermo Scientific Vacuum Ovens are designed with safety, reliability and efficiency in mind—and offer features that can tailor your vacuum oven to your specific applications.

Vacuum ovens offer gentle drying for a variety of scientific and industrial applications

Thermo Scientific vacuum ovens provide temperature uniformity and reproducible drying and heat treatment for pharmaceutical, food, electronics, medical devices and aerospace applications, such as:

  • Moisture removal from dairy products and other food samples
  • Moisture removal from sensitive products such as electronics
  • Complex vacuum drying processes, with specific goals such as:
    • Prevention of oxidation
    • Removal of moisture residue by addressing capillary effects
  • Defined heating protocols with temperature ramping under vacuum
  • Storage of oxygen sensitive material in the presence of inert gas, e.g. nitrogen
  • Tempering
  • Solvent, epoxy and essential oil removal

Select Thermo Scientific ovens are compatible with Smart Vue Pro remote monitoring

Smart Vue Pro monitoring  can be configured with Thermo Scientific heating and drying and vacuum ovens and data can be monitored on the Thermo Fisher Cloud.

  • Continuously monitors sample environment
  • Secure data logging with real-time alarm
  • Audit trail traceability to assist with conformance to 21 CFR Part 11