Welp MagazineIf your business requires a lab, make sure you inventory all the equipment you need to get started. You can find various types of pumps in every laboratory in the world. The different types of pumps you need for your lab are used for a range of applications and understanding them is essential to using the correct one for your operations. Some pumps are more common than others. Keep reading to learn about the four most common pumps used in labs today.
Understand Vacuum Pumps
Each type of pump can produce a different result. Vacuum pumps are important because they help you find reliable and accurate results. For instance, if you don’t use a vacuum pump, the analysis of molecules using mass spectrometry would be useless. For this reason, it is necessary to know which pumps to use in high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and other advanced methods of chemistry. The most common types of vacuum pumps are rotary vane and diaphragm pumps.
Pro Tip: Choose the pump that is right for the substances you are working. Using the wrong pump can damage your equipment and ruin your operation!
Rotary Vane Pump
The most used pump, rotary vane pumps are budget-friendly and easy to maintain. They are ideal for liquids or gases and come lubricated with oil, the contamination from which you can easily flush. These pumps are ideal for many industrial applications.
Diaphragm Pump
Although bulky and prone to pulsing flows, diaphragm pumps operate at high speeds. It is a quiet application that is gentle and therefore suitable for biological applications.
Know About Non-Vacuum Pumps
Non-vacuum pumps operate at a slower speed than vacuum pumps but can be more reliable. Depending on the substance you are working with and its volume, you may prefer to use a non-vacuum pump. The most common non-vacuum pumps are syringe and peristaltic pumps. Also used in flash chromatography.
Syringe Pump
Syringe pumps are ideal for the efficient application of substances; they are designed for accurately dispensing small amounts of liquids. You can use syringes to infuse something with a substance.
Peristaltic Pump
A very simple style of pump, peristaltic pumps are for pumping liquids without contaminating them. Though it does not produce a consistent flow, this style of pump can dispense small amounts of cultures or other solutions.
Deciding which type of pump is best for your lab comes down to your business’s specific needs. You should decide if you need a pump with a vacuum or if you can rely on simpler models. The different types of pumps you need for your lab may vary as you grow and develop your operation. Stay keen on industry advances that could improve your field of study.
