Katherine,

Being in California, aspirator driven vacuum sy stems are too expensive (water costs) and also regulatory problems.  We use pumps for house vac.

In my experience, the key safety issues are 1) the flask must be clamped to prevent tip-overs and the hoses should be easily flexible to relieve pressure from the hose to reorient the flask even when moving it around (weights will not always overcome the hose), and 2) pulling vapors of low-boiling solvents into your water stream (e.g. ether, THF, methanol, Acetonitrile, pentane, hexane, and others).  A chilled trap is great for the latter issue.  Better is the chilled trap and the use of filtr ation pumps with venting up the hoods.  For an academic setting the pumps ca n serve several students (these are not the high vac systems).

Lee Latimer

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From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Katherine Wall
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 200 9 9:56 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] vacuum filtration safety

Are there any safety consideration in using vacuum filtration (side-arm vacuum filtration Erlenmeyer flask with adaptor and Buchner funnel using the building va cuum line) without a trap?  Or is the trap's only purpose to collect back-f low from a water aspirator?

 

Thank you !

 

 

 

Kathy Wall
Chemistry Lab Coordinator
Office SCI 204
Waubonsee Community College
Rt 47 at Waubonsee Dr.
Sugar Grove, IL  60554
(630) 466-7900 ext 2347
email kwall**At_Symbol_Here**waubonsee.edu