http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/PrinterFriendly.aspx?id=2630&u...

http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/article-air-vacuum-pumps-help-labs-save.aspx

Air Vacuum Pumps Help Labs Save Money and

Practice “Green Chemistry”
Early Cost-Analysis Shows Cost Savings of Pumps over Water
Aspirators for Roto-Evaporation Procedures
by Dennis Blom, Director of PIAB Vacuum Academy, PIAB USA, Inc.

Everyone is aware that water is an extremely valuable resource. And if you live in any major Canadian
city, your monthly water bills attest to this fact in the form of a dollar figure.

As the Manager of Facilities and Operations for the Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa, Mike
Ouimet is responsible for the overall operation of the school's myriad of science buildings.

"Generally for every $100 we spend on water usage, we are assessed a 150% surcharge," explained
Ouimet, who has been with the university for more than 32 years. "This trend is commonplace in many
Canadian cities and is also becoming prevalent in the US. The surcharges may not be as steep as ours, but
they are significant."

Needless to say, water usage is a major financial issue for the university. What's more, the buildings under
Ouimet's purview are some of the primary users of water on campus. The problem? All of the science
facilities were using water aspirators for the roto evaporation procedures used to extract base organic
solvents from various chemical and biological processes. With these aspirators, water rushes past a small
pinhole, creating a vacuum and drawing off excess, unwanted material. While relatively effective, the
process does require large amounts of constantly flowing water.

A far less expensive and more effective alternative to the water aspirators exists in the form of
compressed air. Instead of having water rush by the pinhole, compressed air would be the medium used to
create the vacuum. Because water pressure is subject to fluctuation while air pressure can be maintained
at a constant level, air offers a distinct advantage. Air also generates a more effective vacuum, meaning
that the extraction process can be accomplished in less time. And because compressed air is not only less
costly and in greater supply than water (not to mention the fact that most laboratories already have
compressed air for other purposes, including various pneumatic devices), it is an alternative that has
virtually no downside. This was the option that Ouimet looked at back in 1997. He began his exploration
at the suggestion of a co-worker, who had attended a trade show and witnessed the performance of
vacuum pumps manufactured by PIAB Vacuum Products of Hingham, MA. After purchasing and
installing a few PIAB units, Ouimet quickly realized their value based on the reduced water consumption
as well as a dramatic reduction in wastewater contamination from organic solvents entering the
wastewater stream (as is seem in traditional water aspirator use).

1 of 3 25/10/2010 10:17 a.m.

 http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/PrinterFriendly.aspx?id=2630&u...

As time passed, Ouimet purchased additional pumps, installing them in all

of his organic and inorganic chemistry labs, most biology labs and in
many teaching laboratories throughout the facility—basically anywhere a
low level vacuum needed to be created. With close to 100 units, the
University of Ottawa boasts the largest installation in North America.

The university utilizes PIAB Lab-Vac pumps constructed from

polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) and capable of withstanding all organic
solvents at room temperature and most acids and bases. What's more, the The PIAB Lab-Vac pumps have been
compact and lightweight pumps can be installed near the point of developed specifically to suit laboratory
environments like those found at the
vacuum, avoiding long runs of pipe. University of Ottawa.

A PIAB Vacustat vacuum-controlled 2/2 NO valve minimizes consumption of compressed air by

controlling the incoming air flow to a vacuum pump. Vacuum pressure can be adjusted based on the
boiling point of the substances being extracted. Ouimet's set-up allows each Lab-Vac pump to operate two
roto evaporators.

It is also no small benefit that the PIAB pumps are far quieter than the water-based devices.

"With the water aspirators, the sound of the water hitting the stainless steel sinks was pretty loud. The
Lab-Vacs just produce a rhythmic swishing sound that is far less distracting," said Ouimet.

Not only do the Lab-Vacs offer well-defined benefits over water

aspirators, they are superior to other forms of air vacuum as well.

"In traditional air vacuum applications, architects and engineers will

install a central vacuum system to which everyone in the facility has
access," said Ouimet. "However, if the system goes down, the entire
building goes down with it. Also, there is always the risk of cross-
contamination and reaction of incompatible products within the central
vacuum lines. With the PIAB Lab-Vac, operations can continue even if
one pump fails and the danger of contamination and incompatible
product mixing is eliminated."

With central systems, there is also the concern of maintenance people

who are understandably reticent to clean out the system because toxic
The PIAB Lab-Vac, shown here with an materials get caught in them. If this happens, the facility is again faced
accessory valve (Vacustat, 2/2 NO),
minimizes consumption of compressed with the downtime of an entire system rather than a single pump.
air in the university’s laboratories by
controlling the incoming air flow to a
vacuum pump.
Despite air's obvious advantages, Ouimet estimates that 98 percent of all
applications in both Canada and the U.S. that can potentially use air are
using water.

"In my opinion, every lab at every university using water for their vacuum applications is wasting a
valuable resource," he said. "Even at our university, we still have a tremendous volume of water flowing
through our laboratories and research facilities. However, we've stepped up our efforts to reduce
consumption—a commitment we'd like to see other facilities share."

Vacuum systems like PIAB's have demonstrated significant energy- and dollar-saving potential. They also
contribute to the reduction of organic solvents entering the wastewater stream, which is presently a
significant issue. In fact, given the increased drive towards "green" laboratories and energy-efficient lab
design, these systems can be a breath of fresh air.

Dennis Blom may be contacted at info@piab.com or by phone at 800-321-7309. For more information
visit www.piab.com.

2 of 3 25/10/2010 10:17 a.m.

 http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/PrinterFriendly.aspx?id=2630&u...

Copyright 2010 Laboratory Equipment, Advantage Business Media

3 of 3 25/10/2010 10:17 a.m.