Vacuum technology has evolved since the first vacuum was created in a mercury tube in the 15th century. Today, there are a number of different types of vacuum pumps and system configurations to achieve various ranges of negative pressure. Scientific Vacuum Sales & Support, Inc. in Albuquerque, NM provides an overview for quick reference.
Vacuum Pressure Ranges at a Glance
These ranges represent the pressures achieved when the vacuum system is performing optimally. The systems may achieve pressures above or below these ranges but may not be able to sustain them.The chart below shows the pressure range of some of the most common scientific vacuum systems:
Vacuum Systems and Mean Free Path
The pressure achieved by the vacuum system measures how effectively the vacuum removes particles from the chamber. Another way to represent the conditions in the vacuum chamber is by the mean free path—the average distance a particle must travel before it collides with another particle. The table below represents the estimate mean free path distances present at various pressures:
No matter what type of research or application you need your scientific vacuum system to perform, Scientific Vacuum Sales & Support, Inc. supplies the materials and expertise you need. Contact us to speak with experienced technicians who can help you with everything from custom-building vacuum chambers to ordering replacement gaskets.