Glove boxes are an essential part of almost all experimentation and manufacturing industries. They were used for the first time in the 1940s for research of radioactive metals in the military. Later on, their production increased as the medical industry began experimentation on viruses and creating vaccines.
Glove boxes are controlled environments that are configured as per requirements for various uses. Some of the interesting uses of glove boxes are discussed in this article.
Meteorite Nitrogen Glove box Isolators
As a U.S. funded program, Antarctic meteorites are collected and conserved to study the stardust on them. With this research, scientists are able to determine useful information regarding formation of the solar system and their knowledge about stars and their role. Study of these meteorites also enables scientists to apprehend knowledge of evolution and age. Glove box isolators play an important role in the study of these space rocks. They maintain a low-particle, low-humidity environment, to maintain a favorable atmosphere for the study.
Free space atmosphere is simulated by using inert nitrogen gas which keeps moisture at bay. As per NASA, over 17,000 meteorite samples have been sent out to different scientific centers for research purposes. These samples also include fragments of other planets and crystals and rocks older than earth.
Preservation of antiques
Special Radiofrequency sealing isolators are used to preserve delicate specimens and fragile antiques. Specimens are dried in vacuum antechambers before and after they are passed on to the main glove box that is calibrated as nitrogen-purged isolators for RF sealing. Hence a low relative-humidity design is created that eliminates the risk of any moisture damage and at the same time, it provides clear visibility for easy research and operation.
Low-moisture conditions are generated for radio frequency (RF) sealing by using a humidity-control isolation glove box for lithium batteries. Lithium batteries have thousands of uses and applications ranging from our everyday household items to medical, military, and various other fields. Lithium battery electrodes, if not properly sealed, explode in the presence of oxygen. This is where Lithium Battery Electrode Glove Box Isolators are used to process them.
Etelux provides isolation glove boxes for advanced applications that work on radio frequency sealing. They are specially designed glove boxes that involve the treatment of radioactive materials. Additionally, specific boxes for lithium battery packaging are also available.
Mail handling
Another interesting use of the Glove Boxes is for mail handling at the Postal Services. Packages are first kept in the mail-room glove boxes and are examined for safety purposes. Once ensured that they are safe and do not contain any harmful materials, they are distributed to companies and individuals.
Any harmful articles are filtered out during mail processing. The testing area is also sealed for safety if a harmful item is identified. This process has greatly reduced the chances of delivery of any suspicious items. This is an essential need in today’s times in order to avoid any strains of virus to be transferred from one place to another.
High quality purification glove boxes are used for this purpose. Etelux provides a wide variety of models for such types of glove boxes suitable for every application.
Study plant development
To analyze the development stages of a plant and how environmental conditions affect the growth of a plant, a unique Terrarium glove box is designed. In this glove box, carbon dioxide levels are controlled in the top-level vents. An air-meter is installed that keeps track of any oxygen build-up in the chamber. Hollow tubes, which are located at the base of the isolation chamber, are used to look and observe closely the growth of a plant. Soil quality and root growth can also be examined.
