Why is a hot plate important in a laboratory?

A hot plate is crucial laboratory equipment for carrying out many of the processes carried out in laboratories, such as distillation, boiling, extraction, and preparation of chemicals and solutions at specific temperatures.

The importance of this laboratory equipment lies in its great utility when heating containers with liquids, glass materials with their content, in a uniform and controlled manner to achieve the desired objectives.

Applications of a heating plate

Among the applications in the laboratory of a heating plate we find:

  • Heating of flasks and other glassware such as beakers.
  • Thermal treatment and evaporation of liquids.
  • Drying in chemical analysis.
  • Biochemical studies and other compounds.

How a heating plate works?

Heating irons work by passing electricity through a heating element coated with a ceramic surface. And they have a power selector that allows you to adjust the temperature and the time necessary to heat a certain container.

Some models have magnetic stirrers that allow the liquid being heated to stir automatically when a stir bar or magnet is inserted.

Most of the models of heating plates offer a surface of different materials, such as ceramic, aluminum and the combination of both materials.

In the case of ceramic-coated heating plates, they have good chemical resistance, which makes them ideal for working with corrosive substances. They offer fast heating and temperatures that can reach 450 °C. They are easy to clean and their white surface is ideal for chemical tests such as titrations. But their disadvantage is that they have poor temperature uniformity.

Aluminum surface heating plates have higher temperature stability and better shock resistance. But its maximum temperature reaches 400 °C and it is susceptible to corrosive substances.

Those of combined materials offer the best characteristics of both materials, that is, they provide resistance to chemical attacks and temperature uniformity.

Benefits of a heating plate in the laboratory

Among the benefits offered by heating plates in the laboratory we find:

  • They allow rapid and uniform heating.
  • Microprocessor control.
  • Temperatures ranging from 35 °C to 450 °C.
  • Ability to regulate the temperature thanks to the fact that it has a thermostat.
  • They maintain stable and long-lasting operation.

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