Design of a Glove Box
The glove box is a closed and watertight protective enclosure with a stainless-steel structure and transparent sides. It allows the creation of a specific atmosphere for the smooth running of risky gestures or highly sensitive processes. The process is confined to avoid sources of external contamination and prevent contamination of the operator and the environment.
In order to have access to the protected area, the glove box has handling gloves directly attached to its sides. The operator can introduce the products/substances to be protected as well as the instrumentation necessary for handling via sophisticated transfer systems. Thus, the containment does not break throughout the process. The pressure, hygrometry and other climatic conditions of the glove box are also adjustable, hence the controlled atmosphere. This device is therefore suitable for the containment of hazardous substances, but also for applications requiring an ultra-pure inert atmosphere.
Because of its performance, glove boxes are used in high-tech industries, aeronautics, nuclear power, pharmaceutical-medical, research and development, etc. Moreover, glove boxes systematically integrate safety devices that are automatically triggered in case of (micro)leaks or accidents.
Different Types of Glove Boxes
Compared to protective devices such as laboratory fume hoods, the controlled-atmosphere glove box offers optimal protection. Two types of glove boxes can be distinguished according to the elements used:
Hazardous substances
To handle pathogens, radioactive materials and equipment, toxic or allergenic products, carcinogenic substances, etc., a glove box for the containment of hazardous substances is used. It incorporates specific filters to trap toxic or hazardous elements and operates in depression to contain contaminants in the protected area. Its role is to prevent the risks of propagation in order to protect workers and the environment.
A glove box model, meeting exactly these conditions, is designed and manufactured by Jacomex. It is the G SAFE glove box, operating in negative pressure under filtered air. This high safety glove box model guarantees reinforced protection for the operator and the environment. The G SAFE is suitable for applications in industry, research and the nuclear sector.
The G SAFE glove box is a one-piece design and is available in standard, adapted standard and custom-made versions. If special precautions are envisaged in order to optimize decontamination or the cleaning of certain risk areas, a welded construction with rounded corners is preferred in this case.
Jacomex offers a wide range of options and equipment to ensure that the installation has a level of safety in line with your needs. Safety systems, control valves, transfer systems, particle or gas filtration… can be chosen with the help of our experts so that your manipulations are completely safe.
Products requiring an inert atmosphere or vacuum
To handle sensitive products, especially oxidizable or pyrophoric (sensitive to ambient conditions) and hygroscopic (absorbing moisture from the air) products, the glove box for inert atmosphere containment is used. Its atmosphere is inert and extremely pure. A purification system under argon or nitrogen eliminates humidity, oxygen and all traces of solvents to create such conditions. With this type of glove box, the environment can also be put under vacuum.
Standard glove boxes can be found for the most common operations in laboratories, industries, nuclear, aeronautics, etc., but manufacturers also offer modular and custom-made glove boxes if the process presents additional or specific constraints.
