Early in August, we introduced the first part of a three-part series to help you better understand the benefits of a gas management system versus constant purging of the atmosphere inside your glove boxes or enclosures. Since regeneration is critical to achieving and sustaining an air-free and moisture-free working environment, we devote this second part to explaining that process.
What is regeneration? The word itself indicates renewal or restoration, and in this case it’s all about restoring the power of oxygen- and moisture-absorbing materials used in the purifier columns of gas management systems.
You see, once the air is effectively displaced from an enclosure with a gas management system, the inert gas is forced into a purifier column filled with pellets of 13X Molecular Sieve and Copper Catalyst. The former removes moisture from the gas, with the latter removing oxygen. Think of these purifying pellets as porous compounds that absorb water and oxygen, much like a sponge and water. At some point, like a sponge becomes saturated, so too will the 13X Molecular Sieve and Copper Catalyst. It’s at this point of saturation that regeneration is required.
The need for regeneration will be obvious to any user of a glove box with an Inert gas management system. For, the real-time data on the main screen will indicate that the moisture and oxygen levels are unable to be reduced to <1ppm, as is standard with a well-maintained Inert system and considered ideal by many industries and applications who rely upon hermetic enclosures. When the data indicates a need for regeneration, this maintenance is easily handled right on the factory floor by the glove box user or an Inert technician, if you so choose.
Going back to the sponge analogy, instead of squeezing out the water to make the sponge absorbent again, regeneration effectively removes the moisture and oxygen from the purifying pellets using heat in combination with nitrogen and three to seven percent hydrogen to remove the moisture and oxygen from the 13X Molecular Sieve and Copper Catalyst. Being an isolated procedure, the system does not need to be taken apart and the purifier column needn’t be removed. The regeneration process is relatively simple, and can be done right on the factory floor. Inert technicians are happy to show our customers how to do it!
To minimize downtime during regeneration maintenance, the glove box operator can turn off the blower and continue using the glove box with a constant purge until the 13X Molecular Sieve and Copper Catalyst materials are ready for re-use, or regenerated. Otherwise, some of our customers find it beneficial to run a dual-column gas management system, where one purifier column is always operational when the other requires regeneration. Specifically, those with larger enclosures choose Inert gas management system models 2, 10, or 20 – all with dual-column purifiers to eliminate downtime. These Inert models can also be equipped for regenerable solvent removal, where regeneration of the solvent removing material is done using inert gas without hydrogen.
How frequent regeneration needs to be completed depends greatly on how often the gas purification system is used and how regularly new oxygen or moisture is introduced to the enclosure, via antechambers and the like. For example, glove box operators who regularly bring glassware, solvents or other items into the enclosure will generally require regeneration more often than those that don’t because each time an antechamber is opened, a little oxygen and moisture can sneak in. If your glove box seems to be requiring regeneration more often than normal, the other possibilities could include leaks in the enclosure, tears in gloves, and insufficient purging, before or during glove box use.
The bottom line is that regeneration is relatively simple maintenance that safeguards the effectiveness of your glove box gas management system. That being said, if you would rather this work be routinely handled by an Inert expert, we can create an Onsite Service Plan just for you.