Differences Between Heating Mantle and Oil Bath

During experiments, it’s easy to find that there are some common features between the instruments. For example, both the oil bath and heating mantle can be used for heating materials. Some people maybe wonder whether the heating mantle can be used as the oil bath. It’s a good question. In the following, the simple introduction to differences between them will be given in order to help you have a better understanding of this question.

Heating Mantle VS. Oil Bath

1. Different purposes.

A heating mantle refers to a laboratory device used to heat or even stir samples in glass vessels according to the specific experimental requirements. It is mainly used for stirring, or simultaneously heating and stirring liquid or solid-liquid mixture with low viscosity. It features high measurement accuracy, low warm-stamping, rapid temperature rising, high temperature, simple operation and durability. The heating mantle is generally regarded as the most ideal instrument to do experiments of heating and stirring under the condition of controlling temperature accurately.

The oil bath is a heating device as well, which can heat an object in a constant temperature medium by heating a high temperature medium, such as dimethyl silicone oil, through a stainless steel heating tube.

2. Different heating methods.

As both the heating mantle and the oil bath can heat the object, there are still essential differences in the specific heating method.

In a heating mantle, the heated portion of the heating mantle can’t be guaranteed to be in full contact with the flask, so there is a great quantity of air between them. The heat transfer performance of the air at a low temperature is poor, so the temperature uniformity in the flask cannot be maintained. There is often a local overheating of the flask, which is more troublesome for some sophisticated thermostatic experiments.

In a oil bath, the flask is placed directly in the medium, such as methyl silicone oil, and the medium is in seamless contact with the flask. When the temperature of the constant temperature oil bath is 100℃, the temperature in the flask can be completely maintained at about 100℃. For precision temperature experiments, the constant temperature oil bath is much better.

3. Different pros and cons. 

1. The advantage of the heating mantle is that the temperature response is fast and the voltage is adjustable.The heating mantle will control the temperature more easily, and the temperature hysteresis is better than the oil bath.
2. The temperature curve of the constant temperature oil bath is relatively stable, and there is no temperature overshoot, but the temperature response is slower.
3. In the same reaction, the heating mantle is heated early, and the solvent coating is also stable; while in the oil bath, the same conditions can be used to make the product come out later, and the solvent coating is not as stable as the heating mantle.

Which One Should We Choose?

1. The electric heating sleeve is generally used in a state in which it is required to be continuously warmed. If it is a chemical reaction, it is recommended to use an oil bath. If it is a physical operation such as rectification, the heating mantle should be selected.
2. The oil bath has both heating and cooling functions to maintain a constant system temperature. If you want to heat evenly, it is better to use an oil bath and the oil bath can be stirred.
3. The temperature of the oil bath is stable, the reactor is heated evenly, and the heating mantle is not heated uniformly, and the temperature is not well controlled. Therefore, when use the oil bath heating we should pay more attention to safety.

The above is the differences between the heating mantle and the oil bath. If you want to know more about the heating mantle or the oil bath, please contact us as soon as possible. Henan Lanphan Industrial Co., Ltd. has been committed to the production and research and development of experimental instruments and pipe fittings for many years, and enjoys a wide reputation at home and abroad. We will do our utmost to provide you with more information and quality services. Please contact rotovap@lanphan.com for details.