From hot to cold, how can I use my Findenser?

Findenser is our super air condenser. It can replace water-cooled condensers in over 95% of common chemistry applications.

As it requires no running water to operate, it eliminates the risk of flooding in the lab, and it can help you meet your sustainable water reduction targets.

Like with all revolutionary products, it’s only natural that you should have some questions about the Findenser.

And if you look at our FAQ webpage, you’ll see that a lot of queries are related to temperature.

In this post, we’ll uncover the mysteries of the Findenser’s temperature range.

The Findenser Literature Says, ‘Operating Temperature Range: 0°C to 60°C.’ What Does This Mean?

Maybe you’ve seen this and wondered what we are referring to. Is 60°C the maximum solvent boiling point? That’s not very high! And when would you ever use the Findenser at 0°C?

Well we’re here to explain! We’re actually not talking about use here. The 0°C to 60°C is referring to the environmental conditions the whole Findenser can withstand.

So why 0°C? The Findenser contains a small amount of water sealed in between the inner glass body and the outer aluminium fins, for heat transfer. Normally, this goes by unnoticed to the user. You just see the Findenser working – you don’t see the water! The only thing to be aware of is that, of course, water can freeze, and so expand and potentially crack the glass. Really, this only comes up during transport or storage – e.g. don’t leave a Findenser in your car boot during a freezing night!

And what about the upper limit of 60°C? This is the maximum temperature if you were to dry the Findenser in an oven. Similarly, if you use a dishwasher to clean it, the maximum recommended temperature is 50°C. If you go hotter, the Findenser plug/seal could be damaged.

Actually, there are more gentle options to clean and to dry a Findenser. You can check out our FAQs for our recommended cleaning procedure. Contact us if you need any further advice – we’ll be happy to help.

What is the Maximum Solvent Boiling Point for Use with Findenser?

So if 60°C isn’t the maximum solvent boiling point, what is?

You may have watched our videos of Findenser refluxing water, so clearly 100°C is not a problem.

Here at Radleys we have tested a wide range of common solvents, with boiling points up to 155°C, so we can say for sure that that works well.

But actually, even if your solvent boiling point is higher, we would expect the performance with Findenser to be good. The key point is the temperature difference between evaporated solvent and room temperature. Higher boiling points are very different from the ambient temperature, and so those solvents are easy to condense.

What About Low Boiling Point Solvents?

If high boiling point solvents are easy to condense, does that mean that low boiling point solvents could be tricky?

Well yes, because the temperature difference between the vapour and the air is small.

With DCM, which has a boiling point of 40°C, as long as you follow the usage guidelines, you can achieve good results with your Findenser – even better than a water condenser! You can view some tech data here.

When it comes to diethyl ether, with its boiling point of 35°C, you do need to be particularly careful. Findenser can be suitable for small volumes of diethyl ether, with carefully controlled heating.

Any Restrictions on Ambient Temperature? Will Findenser Work in a Warm Lab?

Findenser removes the heat from the solvent vapour and dissipates it to the air around it.

We’ve seen that the temperature difference between the solvent boiling point and the ambient temperature is important.

It’s much better to have a cool lab so that the air temperature is significantly lower than the boiling point.

If your lab is warm, and you’re working with lower boiling point solvents, you may find that the temperature difference isn’t sufficient for Findenser to perform well.

However, if your solvents have high boiling points, there would still be a good temperature difference. Factors such as the solvent volume come into play too. You could reflux a small volume of a high boiling point solvent in a warm lab.

For optimal performance, please ensure sufficient airflow around the Findenser.

So that’s the Findenser temperature range!

If you have any more questions about your Findenser, you may well find the answers in our website FAQs.

You can also get in touch with our technical sales specialists and technical support team.

Call us on +44 1799 513 320, or email [email protected].

Alternatively, you can connect to live chat online, or fill in our online enquiry form.