Vacuum Pumps

What are they?

Vacuum pumps are used to pull air, gas, or water out of an area in order to produce a partial vacuum. There are several types available and they are categorized based on the completeness of the vacuums they create. Ultrahigh- and high-vacuum pumps create almost total vacuums, while the more basic medium- and low-vacuum pumps create vacuums that are less complete.

How do they work?

These pumps are also categorized based on how they work. First, there are entrapment pumps, which trap gases, condense them into a solid state, and use electrical fields to remove them from the vacuum. These are the most effective pumps for creating ultrahigh vacuums. Second, there are momentum pumps, which use the force of high-speed mechanisms to expel molecules and create a high vacuum. Third, there are positive displacement pumps, which include diaphragm pumps, pistons pumps, or any other type of pump to expand the volume of an airtight chamber and thus create a low vacuum.

Where are they used?

Vacuum pumps are versatile instruments with an extremely wide variety of uses. They’re used to create the vacuums inside of manufactured items such as light bulbs, flight instruments, and semiconductors; they’re used in various medical applications, including radiotherapy and procedures that call for suction; and they’re employed in a range of industrial and scientific uses, including vacuum engineering, electron microscopy, mass spectrometers, and composite plastic molding.