How To Build A Chemistry Lab By Yourself?

How To Build A Chemistry Lab By Yourself?

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by Alan Jackson — 10 months ago in Development 3 min. read
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Chemistry is one of the most fascinating subjects that mankind has known. Right from experimenting with different elements to discovering compounds, there are endless things that chemistry can teach us.

So, it is no surprise that building a chemistry lab can also be very exciting. However, any lab requires quite a lot of money and resources to be set up correctly.

In general, it can take anywhere from $350 to $1325 per square foot to build a proper chemistry lab.

If you also want to build your chemistry lab, here are some useful tips and tricks!

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1. Decide what experiments you want to perform

Before buying any scientific equipment or reagents, you need to clearly know what kind of experiments you wish to carry out.

Do you want to understand the basics of chemical reactions and work in the lab as a hobby?

Or are you planning to dive deep into the core of chemistry and discover something amazing?

Many people can even set up a temporary lab in their home or office to improve their chemistry skills, especially during the holiday season.

Therefore, a beginner’s chemistry lab will be different and much less expensive than a professional chemist’s. Once you have this basic idea, you can proceed to the next steps.

2. Choose the right room

After planning out the chemistry lab’s basic layout, it’s time to hunt for the perfect room.

Labs need to be set up in rooms with many electrical outlets. You might need to plug in various scientific machines like centrifuges or spectrophotometers.

If you don’t have a spare room at home or in your workplace, try to look for a room that isn’t frequently used and remove clutter from there.

Next, you need to ensure that there’s plenty of counter space in the chosen room.

The counters need to be sturdy, and the tops have to be made of a non-reactive and non-corrosive material like granite. If you don’t have enough counter space, build one.


3. Collect the necessary tools

Once your room is set up, you have to look for a wide range of chemistry-based reagents and apparatus.

Your laboratory needs some basic things like glass jars and bottles, glass vases, metal or plastic tubes, and storage boxes.

Go through your garage, kitchen space, or any other place where you feel you might catch hold of some items like useful salts and containers.

You can even reuse different items like liquor bottles or glass dishes around the house. This way, you don’t have to spend extra money buying top-quality chemical essentials.

Other items like latex gloves, aluminum foils, and chemical vials have to be directly bought from a store.

4. Ensure proper ventilation and light

While arranging all your chemical equipment, you must also make sure that the room provides enough ventilation and natural light.

If there’s no exhaust fan set up, you have to install one right away.

In a chemistry lab, you never know when you might have to experiment with reactive substances. Many chemicals can release volatile fumes that can cause severe diseases.

Additionally, go for a space that is dry and free from mold. A steady water supply should also be present so that you can wash the apparatus and clean yourself if a harmful substance is spilled onto your clothes.

5. Store the chemicals safely

As already mentioned, you need to be very cautious while handling certain chemicals. Certain reagents need to be stored only in glass vials and in the darkness, such as iodine solution.

Make sure that you store each reagent in its specific container or vial and label it properly using its chemical formula, common name, and percentage concentration.

Some of the most common chemicals that you can store in your home or office laboratory are ethyl alcohol, butane, salt, distilled water, borax, and ammonia.

As for battery-based chemicals, you can store manganese dioxide, zinc metal, and carbon cathodes and anodes obtained from a 6V battery.

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Over to you

When you’re setting up your chemistry lab alone, always remember to keep a copy of the emergency numbers nearby.

Wear gloves, masks, and other required PPE before you enter the lab, and follow good laboratory practices.


Alan Jackson

Alan is content editor manager of The Next Tech. He loves to share his technology knowledge with write blog and article. Besides this, He is fond of reading books, writing short stories, EDM music and football lover.

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