Determining the right glovebox for the right level of containment

A glovebox is a sealed enclosure that allows handling of materials through long, relatively impermeable gloves secured to ports in the walls of the enclosure. The purpose of a glovebox is protection or isolation, which is provided by the physical barrier. Depending on the type of glovebox, the physical barrier may be to isolate a sensitive material inside the box from environmental contamination (controlled atmosphere type) or to protect the operator from hazardous materials being manipulated inside the box (ventilated type). Most gloveboxes have a main chamber where manipulations occur and a smaller transfer or antechamber where samples, small apparatus, and supplies are introduced into the main chamber.

To provide a physical barrier, all well-constructed gloveboxes should be quality control checked for leak tightness. The manufacturer may check for leaks prior to shipment using a helium mass spectrometer. A test probe checks for the presence of leaks at all joints, seals, and seams (Photo 1).