A Trap for Condensed Water from Laboratory Compressed Air Outlet The condensed water coming from the compressed air vutlet of the central compressor system in a research laboratory can he a nuisance tousers. Recently we contrived a simple device that has eliminated the condensed water and made possihle immediate effective use of the compressed air. The device is shuwn in the figure. It consists of a 500-ml heavy wall Erlenmeyer flask with sidearm. Two holes were drilled in the # 7 rubher stopper toaccnmmndate two hent sections of 8-mm O.D. elass tuhine. The section with
leading to compressed air operated equipment, e.g., a compressed air stirrer. Inside the flask, approximately 22 cm of 8-mm O.D. Tygon'tubing was stabilized against the wall of the flask with one end, after being heated, inserted by means of a pair of tweezers to the inner opening of thesidearm. The other end stayed loosely a t the bottom of the flask. The outside end of the sidearm was connected to ruhher tuhing that passed through a hosecock clamp. At first the clamp was left wide open, hut finally adjusted to leave the tuhing with only a narrow opening. This outside tubing together with the tuhing inside the flask served as the drainage for the condensed water. As the level of collected condensed water reached the opening of the small tuhingat the bottom of the flask, it was expelled through the drainage tubing. The device used only a small amount of the pressure of the compressed air. After the compressed air hafi passed tbmugh the device we have found it free of water and other contaminants. Furthermore, we have found the device also useful in eliminating condensed water from the laboratory steam outlet. For safety precaution, t h e airlsteam should be turned on gradually and t h e flask should be thoroughly taped.
A condensed water trap for laboratwy compressed air outlet.
Huo Ping Pan Denver Wildlife Research Center Building 16 Denver Federal Center Denver. CO 80225
1070
Journal of Chemical Education
