As a student, your primary concern is where your vacuum outlet is located. (Of course, the pump will need to be on, too.) The following discussion is intended for those students that want to know more about the systems.
(click on the thumb nails for larger pictures)
| Two round-bottom flasks are attached to the pump. The flask on the right is the "catch-pot" for any liquids that are sucked through the system. It sits before the intake of the pump so that these liquids fall into the flask rather than go through the pump itself.
The flask on the left sits after the pump-proper. Any vapors that go through the pump are cooled by the cooling coils above the flask (you can't see the coils, they are hidden by the cover) and drop into the flask. This prevents the release of hazardous vapors into the environment. If only one solvent has been used, this solvent can be re-used: another boon for the environment. |
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| The picture to the right shows the on/off switch for the pump. It is kind of hard to find, so just look at the picture. It is green and is protected by a clear plastic cover. |  |
| The recirculating bath chills a mixture of 50% ethylene glycol in water and pumps the cooled solution through the glass coils above the round-bottom flask. The vapors condense on the glass coils and drip into the flask. At this point the liquid can be either disposed of as hazardous waste or re-used. |  |
| For the very interested, here is a tutorial on how to change the diaphragm inside the pump itself. |
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