A magnetic stirrer is an electronic instrument that uses a magnetic field to mix one or more solutes with a solvent in an automated way. This equipment has the ability to heat chemical solutions, also minimizes the risk of a solution being altered, as usually when shaken manually the solutions tend to become contaminated.
This electronic device is commonly used in food manufacturing and in the chemical research area, but you will also find it in research laboratories. They come in various sizes and models.
What is a magnetic stirrer in a laboratory?
This equipment is used to mix liquids with each other or with powders, to produce solutions, fluid or viscous dispersions, as well as suspensions. This apparatus is very useful in laboratories of biology or chemistry, since in these environments it tends to need this type of tools to make many mixtures.
Scientists prefer this type of equipment because they are quiet, they do not break easily because they do not have moving parts that can break. They are also easy to clean because they are small in size.
This device serves to reduce the contamination of the reagents, normally when using motorized stirrers they need to be lubricated and for this reason there is a risk of contamination. That’s why this magnetic stirrer tends to be the favorite for scientists in any research field.
What are heated agitators?
This type of apparatus is usually referred to as magnetic stirrer with heating or stirring and heating iron. You can find it with similar names but its function is to shake and heat. And that’s what you need to consider when buying or using a device of this kind.
This option is ideal for heating certain samples that require a constant temperature. It also ensures that the mixed solution receives the exact heat required by the experiment. It is a more complete and ideal equipment for the laboratory since you can use both functions (shaking and heating) and can use them simultaneously or independently.
Uses of a Laboratory Magnetic Stirrer
As for the uses of the laboratory magnetic stirrer you should know that they are usually used in chemistry and biology laboratories, to mix liquids or solutions. Depending on the model you can shake viscous or low viscosity solutions.
Magnetic stirrers that have a heating system are used to heat and this makes it more useful, because while the solutions are being made they are heating simultaneously. You can decide whether to use it only as a heating iron or as a stirrer, when they are made in this way they are known as a heating iron with magnetic stirrer and sometimes as a heated magnetic stirrer.
When using the magnetic stirrer you should place the ready flask or beaker with the contents of the solution you are going to shake on the stirring plate, then insert the magnetic rod into the container and then turn on the device, adjust the speed.
Starting with the slowest speed to increase it progressively you will get the result you want. You must control that the liquid does not spill in the process and when the shaking is complete remember to return the device to its initial speed and turn off the equipment, finally remove the shaking bar from the container.
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