desiccator
Sign in to savethumb|right|A vacuum desiccator (left - note the stopcock which allows a vacuum to be applied), and a desiccator (right). The blue silica gel in the space below the platform is used as the [[desiccant.]] Desiccators are sealable enclosures containing desiccants used for preserving moisture-sensitive items such as cobalt chloride paper for another use. A common use for desiccators is to protect chemicals which are hygroscopic or which react with water from humidity.
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Constituents
- Operation
- See also
- References
thumb|right|A vacuum desiccator (left - note the stopcock which allows a vacuum to be applied), and a desiccator (right). The blue silica gel in the space below the platform is used as the [[desiccant.]] Desiccators are sealable enclosures containing desiccants used for preserving moisture-sensitive items such as cobalt chloride paper for another use. A common use for desiccators is to protect chemicals which are hygroscopic or which react with water from humidity.
The contents of desiccators are exposed to atmospheric moisture whenever the desiccators are opened. It also requires some time to achieve a low humidity. Hence they are not appropriate for storing chemicals which react quickly or violently with atmospheric moisture such as the alkali metals; a glovebox or Schlenk-type apparatus may be more suitable for these purposes.