Can I use Lab Armor Beads for an ice bath?
There are number of different ways to use Lab Armor Beads. Many customers place containers of beads in their refrigerators, incubators, and ovens. When creating an ice bath, one goal is to keep the beads dry. It is a good idea to separate the beads from the ice packs, which accumulate condensation. It is important to keep the beads from soaking in water for extended periods of time. Besides attracting contamination, excessive water contact will tarnish the surface of the beads and reduce the fluidity of the bath. Also, as an alternative to ice packs, dry ice can be used to make a colder bath (<0 degrees C).
How do I keep my Lab Armor Beads shiny and fluid?
Normal amounts of precipitation on refrigerated bottles and vials are not harmful. However, exposure to a combination of heat and water or reactive chemicals can oxidize the surface of the Lab Armor Beads. Chemically accelerated oxidation reduces the shine of Lab Armor Beads and more importantly, the fluidity of the beads. In general, Lab Armor Beads can last for many years if kept relatively dry and clean. They can even out-live your water bath.
Is an air-jacketed water bath compatible with Lab Armor Beads?
In general, air-jacketed water baths provide better overall heat distribution and temperature gradients. The air jacket that surrounds the tub portion of the bath allows the heated air generated by the heat element at the base of the tub to also warm the walls of the tub. Baths with heated walls transfer heat to the beads from 4 directions. Baths without air jackets less efficiently heat the beads from the bottom only.
Be aware that when the bath's heating element is not recessed below the tub, but is instead fixed to the tub by metal-to-metal contact, the base of the bath can become very hot in areas where contact is made. This produces hot spots at the bottom, which results in uneven gradients in the bath. Heating elements that only cover a small portion of the base of the tub can make this problem worse. Such baths produce hot spots, whether water or beads are used.
Besides keeping the water bath cleaner, how do Lab Armor Beads protect samples better than water?
Lab Armor Beads eliminate the possibility of water wicking into the sample and prevent cross-contamination from water dripping off a vessel onto other items on the bench when removing the vessel from the bath. If the bath is accidentally turned off or loses power, Lab Armor Beads maintain temperature up to 5 times longer than water, offering better protection for incubating samples.
How do Lab Armor Beads perform under high or low temperatures?
Lab Armor Beads have been tested using various water bath models at a range of temperatures. In most baths, the further the set temperature is from ambient temperature, the greater the thermal gradient is farthest away from the heating element. Therefore, at an operating temperature of 37 degrees C to 42 degrees C, the thermal gradient in a water bath is typically +/- 1-3 degrees C, whereas at 55-65 degrees C it is closer to +/- 3-8 degrees C depending on the design of the bath and the amount of Lab Armor Beads used. To reduce the temperature gradient, use less Lab Armor Beads. For example, in a bath set at 65 degrees C, the temperature gradient can be reduced by 2 to 3 fold by using a 3-inch depth of Lab Armor Beads instead of 6-inch depth. For the most part, high temperature applications use microfuge tubes and other small vessels, so reducing the overall volume of Lab Armor Beads is very practical.
