A glovebox (or glove box) is a sealed container that is designed to allow one to manipulate objects where a separate atmosphere is desired. Built into the sides of the glovebox are
glove
A glove is a garment covering the hand, with separate sheaths or openings for each finger including the thumb. Gloves protect and comfort hands against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease; or in turn to provide a ...
s arranged in such a way that the user can place their hands into the gloves and perform tasks inside the box without breaking containment. Part or all of the box is usually transparent to allow the user to see what is being manipulated. A smaller antechamber compartment is used to transport items into or out of the main chamber without compromising the internal environment. Antechambers are much smaller than the main chambers so they can be exposed to ambient conditions more often and achieve inert conditions quickly.
Two types of gloveboxes exist. The first allows a person to work with hazardous substances, such as radioactive materials or infectious disease agents, and the second allows manipulation of substances that must be contained within a very high purity inert atmosphere, such as
argon
Argon is a chemical element; it has symbol Ar and atomic number 18. It is in group 18 of the periodic table and is a noble gas. Argon is the third most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, at 0.934% (9340 ppmv). It is more than twice as abu ...
or
nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a Nonmetal (chemistry), nonmetal and the lightest member of pnictogen, group 15 of the periodic table, often called the Pnictogen, pnictogens. ...
. It is also possible to use a glovebox for manipulation of items in a
vacuum chamber
A vacuum chamber is a rigid enclosure from which air and other gases are removed by a vacuum pump. This results in a low-pressure environment within the chamber, commonly referred to as a vacuum. A vacuum environment allows researchers to c ...
.
Inert atmosphere work
The gas in a glovebox is pumped through a series of treatment devices which remove
solvent
A solvent (from the Latin language, Latin ''wikt:solvo#Latin, solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a Solution (chemistry), solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas ...
s,
water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
and
oxygen
Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...
from the gas.
Copper
Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
metal (or some other finely divided metal) is commonly used to remove oxygen, this oxygen removing column is normally regenerated by passing a
hydrogen
Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...
/
nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a Nonmetal (chemistry), nonmetal and the lightest member of pnictogen, group 15 of the periodic table, often called the Pnictogen, pnictogens. ...
mixture through it while it is heated: the
water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
formed is passed out of the box with the excess hydrogen and nitrogen. It is common to use
molecular sieve
A molecular sieve is a material with pores of uniform size comparable to that of individual molecules, linking the interior of the solid to its exterior. These materials embody the molecular sieve effect, in which molecules larger than the pore ...
s to remove water by absorbing it in the molecular sieves' pores. Such a box is often used by
organometallic
Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and so ...
chemists to transfer dry solids from one container to another container.
An alternative to using a glovebox for air sensitive work is to employ Schlenk methods using a
Schlenk line. One disadvantage of working in a glovebox is that organic
solvents
A solvent (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for p ...
will attack the plastic seals. As a result, the box will start to leak and
water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
and
oxygen
Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...
can then enter the box. Another disadvantage of a glovebox is that oxygen and water can diffuse through the plastic gloves. Also, coordinating solvents, such as
tetrahydrofuran
Tetrahydrofuran (THF), or oxolane, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2)4O. The compound is classified as heterocyclic compound, specifically a cyclic ether. It is a colorless, water- miscible organic liquid with low viscosity. It is ...
and
dichloromethane, can bind irreversibly to the copper catalyst, reducing its effectiveness. One way to prolong the lifespan of the glovebox and catalyst is to turn off circulation when using solvents, followed by purging when work involving solvents is finished.
Inert atmosphere gloveboxes are typically kept at a higher pressure than the surrounding air, so that any microscopic leaks are mostly leaking inert gas out of the box instead of letting air in.
Hazardous materials work
At the now-deactivated
Rocky Flats Plant, which manufactured
plutonium triggers, also called "pits", production facilities consisted of linked
stainless steel
Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...
gloveboxes up to 64 feet, or 20 meters, in length, which contained the equipment which
forge
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to the ...
d and
machined the trigger parts. The gloves were
lead
Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
-lined. Other materials used in the gloveboxes included
acrylic viewing windows and Benelex shielding composed of
wood fiber
Wood fibres (also spelled wood fibers, see spelling differences) are usually cellulosic elements that are extracted from trees and used to make materials including paper.
The end paper product (paper, paperboard, tissue, cardboard, etc.) dictate ...
and plastic which
shielded against
neutron
The neutron is a subatomic particle, symbol or , that has no electric charge, and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton. The Discovery of the neutron, neutron was discovered by James Chadwick in 1932, leading to the discovery of nucle ...
radiation
In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or a material medium. This includes:
* ''electromagnetic radiation'' consisting of photons, such as radio waves, microwaves, infr ...
. Manipulation of the lead-lined gloves was onerous work.
Some gloveboxes for radioactive work are under inert conditions, for instance, one nitrogen-filled box contains an argon-filled box. The argon box is fitted with a gas treatment system to keep the gas very pure to enable electrochemical experiments in molten salts.
Institute for Transuranium Elements
. jrc.ec.europa.eu
Gloveboxes are also used in the biological sciences when dealing with anaerobes or high- biosafety level pathogens.
Gloveboxes used for hazardous materials are generally maintained at a lower pressure than the surrounding atmosphere, so that microscopic leaks result in air intake rather than hazard outflow. Gloveboxes used for hazardous materials generally incorporate HEPA filters into the exhaust, to keep the hazard contained.
Gallery
File:Vacuum Dry Box.jpg, Metal glovebox for handling dangerous substances in vacuum, with extra protection against explosions or implosions
File:S Krikalev with miniglovebox.jpg, Sergei Krikalev
Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev (, also transliterated as Sergei Krikalyov; born 27 August 1958) is a Russian mechanical engineer and former cosmonaut and head of the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.
As a prominent rocket scientist, he ...
working with a portable glovebox at the International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...
File:Glovebox INL.jpg, Multiple-port glovebox allowing access by several operators from different sides
File:Argonne's Tribology Lab - Hydrogen Tribometer.jpg, A glovebox-like shield built around an experimental setup
File:NNSA-NSO-58.jpg, Large scale glovebox in the nuclear industry
File:Scientist using a glovebox.jpg, A scientist in UCL Chemical Engineering uses a glovebox to manipulate a sample
File:Glovebox at Gdansk University of Technology.jpg, Glovebox with microscope and airlock
File:GB II glove box.jpg, Nano Material handling glove box
File:ProRes PB II glovebox.jpg, Inert glovebox using for pharmaceutical application (hygroscopic samples weighing and packing)
File:Maarja Paalo uses a glovebox.jpg, Supercapacitor test cell assembly in an argon dry chamber. Modern supercapacitors work with an organic electrolyte that must be protected from moisture. Therefore, the supercapacitor was filled with electrolyte in a dry chamber in high purity argon environment
See also
* Desiccator
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 wit ...
s are used for storing chemicals which are moisture-sensitive, but do not react quickly or violently with water.
* Fume hoods are used for hazardous material handling where less operator protection and the same atmosphere can be used.
* Hot cells often use remote manipulators to provide radiological containment where more operator protection is required.
* Sandblasting cabinets are a type of glovebox which shield the user from the high-velocity abrasive particles inside.
* Schlenk lines are used for manipulating oxygen- and moisture-sensitive chemicals.
References
External links
*
*
American Glovebox Society
* Hans-Jürgen Bässler und Frank Lehmann: ''Containment Technology: Progress in the Pharmaceutical and Food Processing Industry.'' Springer, Berlin 2013
{{Authority control
Air-free techniques
Cleanroom technology
Gas technologies
Laboratory equipment
Radiation protection