Sciencemadness Discussion Board

What is this?

Raid - 5-1-2023 at 08:38

i came across this post to buy some of this stuff and I saw this. i asked the seller what it was, he did not really seem to know. he sent some pictures of it and I was wondering if anyone knows what it is.
I'm 90% sure its an induction heater, but I can not find it anywhere online. i look up EVERYTHING including model number and I did some research on the CRC and I can only find that it was basically google in 1901 and that they supplied chemistry stuff related to rubber. this thing looks old 10-15 years old maybe more idk. I'm also guessing that its a specialty item made for a hospital hence the "University Hospitals" on the back with its model number.
im not sure what a hospital would have use for an induction heater but i could be mistaken. if you have any ideas on what this is please write something.


here are the pictures the seller sent.

3A8D4380-3E3B-4778-A745-E8B3D0524E52.jpeg - 83kB777AD402-18DB-495A-84B0-4F3DE682BCDC.jpeg - 84kB92699BB6-3FD6-4741-A82F-162A577EAC43.jpeg - 95kBD309C2F6-FEA4-498D-A877-E6ADD37A527F.jpeg - 107kB

unionised - 5-1-2023 at 10:33

It looks a lot like a water bath heater

Dr.Bob - 5-1-2023 at 12:05

Its an immersion heater, it heats the liquid you immerse it into. Mostly for water baths. The dial sets the temp.

Sulaiman - 5-1-2023 at 16:52

The knob is labeled "STIRRER SPEED" so it is to control the speed of the stirrer ;)
The immersion heater probably had an external thermostatic sensor / controller.

Looks like significant wear and corrosion so hardly worth the postage costs I'd guess.

Raid - 6-1-2023 at 06:09

what would be the benefit of using this as a water bather heater over just a hot plate

Raid - 6-1-2023 at 06:13

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman  
The knob is labeled "STIRRER SPEED" so it is to control the speed of the stirrer ;)
The immersion heater probably had an external thermostatic sensor / controller.

Looks like significant wear and corrosion so hardly worth the postage costs I'd guess.


yeah I would not buy this thing on its own, I'm getting it from craigslist with other labware this guy is selling. for a very good deal :)

Raid - 6-1-2023 at 06:16

also, I think its kinda odd how i can't find anything online about this. there are no other products I can find that even look close to this.

Sulaiman - 6-1-2023 at 06:17

The stirring.
A hotplate would create convection currents but not enough to ensure that all places in the bath would be at (almost) the same temperature.

PS this model looks old enough to be pre-internet :)

[Edited on 6-1-2023 by Sulaiman]

Raid - 6-1-2023 at 06:22

cool, how old do you think it is?
do you think it could be worth some money if I fixed it?

Texium - 6-1-2023 at 06:44

At a glance, I’d guess 1970s, maybe 1980s at the newest. I don’t think it would be worth any money unless it was in good working order and you could find a compatible temperature controller. Kind of obsolete nowadays because we’ve got powerful and precise temperature controlled hotplates with magnetic stirring. But, it could be a decent budget option for an amateur chemist in some cases.

Raid - 6-1-2023 at 07:59

would this thing have any value to scrap? like any high-voltage transformers or some induction module?
it really looks like an induction heater. i wish it was that because I like heating stuff up until red ;)
I'm going to buy this in like 2 days so once I do so ill post some more pictures of this and maybe take it apart and see how it works :)
I like vintage things :cool:

numos - 6-1-2023 at 10:03

There's probably not much inside that thing. The heating element will just be a coil of wire. There is likely a thermocouple in the copper coil somewhere, but those are so much cheaper and better nowadays. It looks like there is no heating control, so it may be preset to maintain some temperature. Medical fields need heated water baths all the time, thawing IV fluid, culturing cells, etc.

Then you have a small motor with speed control.

You will likely find similar components in an old blow-dryer. It is almost certainly not an induction heater (like the ones used to melt metal). You could use that copper coil to build an induction heater, but you would need to build the circuit yourself.

Raid - 6-1-2023 at 12:35

would anyone want it if i were to give it away?

XeonTheMGPony - 6-1-2023 at 13:55

It is indeed a water bath heater with an integral mixer, to circulate it to keep it at an even temp, looks like an old analog unit so odds are it could be cleaned up and made to work and look good doing it.

not much to go wrong internaly.

I'd wager a old style capillary thermostat for heat setting, and rheostat for speed.

[Edited on 6-1-2023 by XeonTheMGPony]

DraconicAcid - 6-1-2023 at 14:04

Quote:
I did some research on the CRC and I can only find that it was basically google in 1901 and that they supplied chemistry stuff related to rubber.


The Chemical Rubber Company published the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, which (in the pre-Google era) was referred to as "the Rubber Bible". Exceedingly useful, even now.

Raid - 8-1-2023 at 09:29

i bought it and found out the stirring does not work, but the heating is VERY hot and get to like 200c in like 5 seconds :)

Dr.Bob - 16-1-2023 at 17:01

Yes, it is designed to only be turned on in water, so the element will burn out fast if left on without a cooling bath.

Raid - 17-1-2023 at 06:20

I also found some other things in the labware I bought. they look like thermometers but with a reddish-orange stick thing in it. it also has a lead bottom on it. ill try to take some pictures of them soon but for now ill just try to describe it. think of them like a thermometer with a lead bottom and a metal loop that acts as a hook. they kinda look like the little tritium tubes that china sells for key chains.

Vomaturge - 29-1-2023 at 00:09

Assuming the thermometer things don’t actually glow, it might be a buoy that senses liquid density by how high it floats. Search google for pictures of “hydrometers.”

crow6283 - 31-1-2023 at 07:42

Is it still available ? I’d be very interested in it if it is.

Raid - 13-2-2023 at 07:57

What are you interested in? The water bath heater?