What Is The Working Principle of Laminar Air Flow Cabinet?

Laminar Air Flow cabinets are understood to be of importance when there is a need to preserve sterility in laboratory activities. These cabinets are constructed to prevent contaminating the user and the samples by directing clean air which has been filtered free of the contaminants. As any person who works in a laboratory needs to understand how it operates, the same should be true to their explanation and usage in practice.

In this blog, we will learn about the workings of a laminar air flow cabinet, its types, key features, and benefits.

How Does a Laminar Air Flow Cabinet Work?

The airflow mechanism is the key feature of it. The cabinet contains a high efficiency particulate air or ultra low penetration air filter, as part of the system, so as to achieve clean surroundings. Here’s a description of the whole sequence of events in chronological order.

Air Intake: Ambient air enters the cabinet through the front grill or opening. At first entry, this air does not pass through a filter in the cabinet.

Filtration: After that, the air passes under an ultra high efficiency HEPA or ULPA filter that has an efficiency rating of 99.97% and captures particles that are zero point three micrometers and smaller. This process eliminates contaminates.

Laminar Flow: After passing through filters, the clean air is discharged in a laminar flow pattern, either horizontally or vertically. With horizontal flow cabinets, air is blown from the rear toward the front and for vertical flow cabinets, the air is blown from the top to the bottom. This laminar flow forms an invisible shield over a working surface, preventing any airborne contaminants from settling on the samples or the work area.

Exhaust: After filtering the particulate air, it is released out of the cabinet through the sides or the back of the cabinet. Some cabinets have the feature where the air used is not fully exhausted but called the recirculated air, which helps in preserving the best conditions within the cabinet.

Types of Laminar Air Flow Cabinets

There are different types of laminar air flow cabinets available in the market; each type is designed to address major needs in a laboratory setting.

Vertical Cabinets: These containers create vertical laminar airflow where the sterile air is drawn from the top down towards the working surface. This pattern particularly benefits such systems because the user is working, which may involve some dangerous materials, in this case, there is also clean air flowing down to the work surface.

Horizontal Cabinets: A horizontal air screen is provided in the front, which pushes the air coming from the back of the cabinet towards the user. This type of office cabinet is usually employed where there are fewer hazardous activities, since there is an air shield protecting the samples from external particles.

Key Features and Benefits

Contamination Control: The main advantage of being inside a Laminar Air Flow cabinet is the reduction of contamination. These cabinets serve their purpose of protecting the delicate experiments or samples by ensuring that no contamination occurs in the area.

User Protection: They protect the users from exposure to harmful substances, particularly when handling biological or chemical materials.

Versatility: These cabinets are multipurpose and can be applied in diverse laboratory practices, such as research, clinicians and industrial applications.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a Laminar Air Flow Manufacturers in India, Coslab India is a top choice. With decades of experience, we produce high-quality scientific and laboratory equipment for your laboratory needs.