Customer stories
Dr. Eric Täuscher at the Schlenk line with vacuum screw pump from VACUUBRAND
© TU Ilmenau
At universities, excellent teaching and high-quality equipment are fundamental elements for successful research and education. Dr. Eric Täuscher is a scientific staff member for Organic Chemistry at the Technical University of Ilmenau – and known in social media as the "Hero of Molecules". He is an expert in providing students with practical training while also being active in research. Whether for filtration, distillation, or drying – his positive experiences with diaphragm, rotary vane, and screw pumps demonstrate how important these technologies are for successful laboratory applications.
Vacuum technology is essential in daily laboratory routine and is therefore indispensable for us in biotechnical chemistry. We use all types of pumps from VACUUBRAND for both research and practical courses – for numerous purposes ranging from simple vacuum filtration to standard applications such as rotary evaporation or distillation to advanced Schlenk line techniques with inert gas.
Versatile vacuum technology
TU Ilmenau is a research-focused university with modern, practice-oriented education. Dr. Täuscher dedicates himself to teaching and supervising practical courses in the Biotechnical Chemistry degree program – and when time permits, also to research. As the "Hero of Molecules," he regularly reports on daily laboratory challenges on social media – from the first experiments of beginners to the tricky experiments for advanced students. "Until 2019, I didn't even have a smartphone," he smiles. "But then the students urged me and said, 'This should be shown on Instagram!'" The COVID period finally convinced him to use this channel to promote the study program and ultimately chemistry as a whole.
Whether synthesis, organometallic chemistry, or natural products chemistry – the daily laboratory routine covers practically everything modern chemistry has to offer. Vacuum technology from VACUUBRAND is used daily and is indispensable for many work steps. Therefore, Dr. Täuscher's team relies on a wide range of vacuum pumps:
- Diaphragm pumps
- Rotary vane pumps
- Hybrid pumps
- Screw pumps
"Students work with all important vacuum technologies during their studies," explains Dr. Täuscher. "In the end, they know exactly which pump type they need for which application – and don't have to guess for long."
Intuitive operation
This practical approach prepares graduates for their future careers, whether in research or industry. Dr. Täuscher also emphasizes that the technology should be as user-friendly as possible:
"We want to focus on chemistry and not despair over complicated devices. That's why we rely on intuitive operating concepts – the vacuum pumps from VACUUBRAND are simply reliable partners in the laboratory."
Innovative chemistry screw pump down to 10-3 mbar
In everyday laboratory work, practical questions constantly arise: What happens if the cold trap is not properly refilled? How can time-consuming oil changes after practical courses be avoided? That's why Dr. Täuscher has been relying on a VACUU·PURE 10C vacuum screw pump for several years.
With a pumping capacity of 9 m³/h, the powerful vacuum pump handles intensive work at large Schlenk lines in the synthesis practical course, where two users work side by side and up to four syntheses can be run simultaneously. It also demonstrates its versatility in the natural products practical course, where it is used reliably on the freeze dryer.
The chemically resistant and oil-free technology offers decisive advantages: Even if filling the upstream cold trap is occasionally forgotten in practical operations, the pump suffers no damage. Since no operating fluids are required, there are no annoying oil changes, disposal of contaminated waste oil, or elaborate flushing when contaminated – much to Dr. Täuscher's delight. The warm-up time of approximately 30 minutes even turned out to be a didactic advantage after an initial adjustment period: Students learn to use their time more efficiently and plan work steps proactively. Dr. Täuscher summarizes his experiences:
The chemically resistant and oil-free VACUU·PURE 10C screw pump is truly an innovation – previously only rotary vane pumps and diaphragm pumps were available for our laboratory applications. It has proven particularly valuable for us when drying is necessary and ensures that condensate is continuously removed. The pump is also relatively compact, stable, and built to last. It conveniently sits on our windowsill. There, it runs reliably without the need of constant maintenance or refilling of operating fluids.
Space-saving rotary vane pumps down to 10-3 mbar
In the laboratory rooms, staff and students face another challenge: How to integrate a vacuum pump when every square centimeter is valuable? After all, experimental setups, reagents, and analytical instruments must be accommodated in the often densely occupied practical rooms.
At the Technical University of Ilmenau, compact rotary vane pumps of type RZ 2.5 with a pumping speed of 2.3 m³/h are additionally used as workplace pumps. These are popular for everyday applications such as Schlenk line, distillation, sublimation, or repeated vacuum and inert gas cycles.
"The RZ 2.5 rotary vane pumps have a clear advantage: They require little space on the lab bench due to their small footprint. This is really important for us because both the students and I use every available centimeter. Additionally, the pump delivers constant vacuum and is very quiet when connected to the exhaust vent at the top – that's great."
At the university, another special technology is also used: RC 6 Chemistry-HYBRID pump
- Combination: Rotary vane pump + chemistry diaphragm pump
- Function of the diaphragm pump: permanent evacuation of the oil reservoir of the rotary vane pump
- Advantage: Greatly reduced corrosion attack in the oil-sealed part when working with aggressive vapors
Summary: Vacuum technology for all cases
Dr. Täuscher's experiences at TU Ilmenau show that special solutions are required for deeper vacuum down to 10⁻³ mbar and challenging practical course conditions. From innovative screw pumps to compact rotary vane pumps to hybrid technology – each challenge finds its appropriate solution.
"VACUUBRAND is one of the few manufacturers with real innovations for the laboratory. At TU Ilmenau, our students learn not only chemistry but also the safe handling of modern vacuum technologies – an important advantage for their future careers."
"Hero of Molecules – Volume 2" will be published soon: Dr. Täuscher shares his experiences with versatile diaphragm pumps – from his personal favorite pump from his doctoral student days to precise VARIO® vacuum control for consistent distillation.
