Bel-Art Space Saver Vacuum Desiccator 230 mm

The Bel-Art Space Saver Vacuum Desiccator answers the main objection to glass vacuum desiccators: under reduced pressure, glass that has been knocked or scratched can fail, and it fails violently. The upper section here is transparent polycarbonate — as clear as glass for checking contents, but shatter resistant.

The lower section is polypropylene, chosen for chemical resistance rather than optics. It withstands the acids and solvent vapours that come off samples during evacuation, and it accepts incandescent crucibles set directly on the supports after furnace work.

A polypropylene stopcock with a Teflon PTFE plug controls airflow. The point of the PTFE plug is control on the way back up: air is released gently, so a sudden inrush does not disturb powders or lift ash from a crucible — the failure mode that ruins a gravimetric determination at the last step.

The 230 mm size on a white base suits general benchtop use. Vacuum is drawn with a laboratory pump or aspirator; the desiccator holds the vacuum once the stopcock is closed.

Desiccant is ordered separately. Note the material limits: polycarbonate is attacked by acetone and other ketones, and neither section should be autoclaved.