FumeHood

Project FumeHood
Status	In progress
Contact	Mux, PeterC, Peterbjornx
Last Update	2018-11-11

For some time now, there has been some interest in performing chemistry experiments and the like at RevSpace, with PeterC having amassed a decent amount of glassware and chemicals over the past 2 years. Until recently, we did not have a safe and contained area to actually perform any experiments in. Project FumeHood has changed that, and now provides:

• A safe fume cupboard, made from chemically inert materials, to do the experiments in
• Providing within the fume cupboard all the amenities you expect in a proper chemistry lab: electric outlets, gas connections, water connections, vacuum takeoff and of course air extraction
• Dedicated, safe storage for glassware and chemicals
• A wide assortment of compatible glassware
• A few necessary chemicals (you will usually have to supply your own specialty chemicals or replace whatever you used, except for proportionally tiny amounts or bulk chemicals)

The goings-on with the fume hood, at least initially, will mostly be documented on mux's Youtube channel PowerElectronicsBlog. You can watch the introductory video that goes over all the functionality of the fume hood here:

Youtube - PowerElectronicsBlog - Chemistry is going on: the fume hood at Revspace

Fume Hood Progress

• Fiberglass Liner on lip: DONE
• Drawers: DONE
• Drip Trays: DONE
• Water Valve: DONE
• Window: DONE
• Smoke Test: DONE

Ground Rules

Rule 1

Everything that happens with the fumehood of any significance should be reported to one responsible person. For the time being, this will be Emile (mux).

Rule 2

Every experiment has to be planned and approved If you intend to do an experiment in the fumehood, you have to make a plan, submit it to the head honcho and get it approved and planned. You will need to: State which reagents you will use and what synthesis you wish to perform (if possible: links to papers/procedures/whatever you’re using) Describe the apparatus(es) you will use Explain the risks of every step in your synthesis and have contingency plans for when anything goes wrong Estimate how long you will want to use the fumehood Explain in detail how you will clean everything and how long this will take Say when you wish to do your experiment Name a person or persons(s) you will be doing the experiment with

Depending on your experiment, you may either just go ahead, or you may have to schedule a time where either a trained chemist or experienced person is available as well to observe the experiment.

The focus of any application is on safety and clean-up. You will always be asked to reserve lots of time for prep and cleanup, so keep that in mind.

The fumehood may be used to ventilate smelly things or accidents in the space safely without planning. However, incidental use like this should still be communicated to the kaiser.

Rule 3

The ground rules for the fumehood are:

• The fumehood must be empty when it’s not in use for an experiment
• Experiments can only be performed with prior approval
• Chemicals need to be correctly and safely stored in the appropriate level of the closet or drawers
• The fumehood can never be used by just one person
• Any experiment has to be attended to at all times, so no overnight experiments (unless you have 2 people stay overnight)
• Fellow spacers should be informed appropriately when an experiment is ongoing
• You are responsible for the chemical waste you generate

Any broken rule should be immediately noted and if possible righted. If somebody absent-minded stored some widget inside the fume hood, take it out and put it in the person’s samla. If somebody seems to be working by themselves on an experiment, ask if you can be their buddy or inform the kaiser of this. Maybe their chem buddy got sick and they’re still cleaning up but they forgot to tell anyone.

Rule 4

Document everything! There is now a list of the reagents in the chemical cabinets and there are printed out and laminated lists inside the actual cabinets.

There is a whiteboard by the fume hood where you can write your name and what you're doing.