Standard Operating Procedure for Turning On and Using the Dry Box
Last updated on February 8, 2016
PPE required for Dry Box use:
 Gloves
 Safety Glasses
 Closed-toed Shoes
Material Hazards and Spill/Release Potential:
 While the Dry Box acts as a container for any materials/chemicals inside the Dry
Box, there is still the potential of spilling chemicals inside the Dry Box or while
transporting chemicals to and from the Dry Box. The utmost caution and care
should be taken while handling anything inside the Dry Box or around the Dry Box.
 If a spill should occur inside the Dry Box or around the Dry Box, the spill should
immediately be cleaned up following the proper procedure for the type of spill in
question. Absorbent materials (such as paper towels or pigs) should be used and the
area should be wiped clean and then dried.
 NOTE: Currently, the dry box is not vented to any type of exhaust system. DO
NOT use chemicals that are volatile and hazardous to inhale. You will be exposed
to these chemicals through the arm openings if you were to use them.
 IF you need to use very volatile chemicals in a dry box, you will need to find a more
contained type of dry box that is vented to an exhaust system.
Dry Box location:
1. The dry box (Figure 1) is located in Rowland Hall on the third floor, in room 350.
Figure 1. Nizkorodov Lab Dry Box.
Turning the System On:
The following (Figure 1) is a picture of the locations of all of the items listed in the steps below
and their relation to one another:
Figure 2. Location of Everything Listed in the Following Steps.
1. Plug in the Power Cord for the Purge Air Moisture Indicator, located on the wall opposite
the dry box, under the grey FTIR Purge Gas Generator Box (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Black Power Cord Plug-In (red box) for the Moisture Indicator, located under the Grey
Gas Generator Box (Shown plugged in).
2. Open the Yellow FTIR Purge Air Valve (Figure 4), located on the wall on the LEFT side
of the grey FTIR Purge Gas Generator Box.
a. Valve in the Vertical Direction: Open
b. Valve in the horizontal direction: Closed
Figure 4. FTIR Purge Air Valve, shown in the Open Position (Yellow valve pointing in the
Vertical Direction).
3. Check the Moisture Indicator (Figure 5) attached the RIGHT side of the Grey FTIR Gas
Generator Box.
a. Green Color: Air is Dry
b. Yellow Color: Air is Wet
Figure 5. Mositure Indicator (Green Color means the Purge Air is Dry).
4. If moisture indicator is Wet, then Refer to the Trouble Shooting Section in the Parker
Hannifin “Installation, Operation, and Maintenance Parker Balston Models 75-52 and 7562 FT-IR Purge Gas Generators” Technical Information Pamphlet in the Instrument
Manuals Filing Cabinet.
5. Open Black Flow Valve (Figure 6), located on the RIGHT Side of the Grey FTIR Purge
Air Generator Box (See Figure 1).
a. Give valve approximately ¼- ½ of a turn.
6. There is a flow valve over the dry box (Figure 7) that controls the amount of purge air
entering the dry box.
a. It is recommended to set it around 20 SLM while flushing with purge air (before
using the dry box)
b. It is recommended to set it around 10 SLM when working inside the dry box.
Figure 6. Dry Box Flow Valve that controls the amount of FTIR Purge Air entering the Dry
Box.
Using the Dry Box:
1. The Dry Box has two round port openings on the left and right side for accessing items
inside the Dry Box.
a. DO NOT use the LEFT Side port. It has been cracked and re-epoxyed and can be
broken easily.
b. Only use the RIGHT side port.
2. Before you begin using the dry box, you will first need to place everything that you will
need inside the dry box and close the port opening. This is because the dry box will need
to have any room air and moisture flushed out of it that might have entered while opening
the port.
a. It is recommended to make a list of all necessary chemicals, supplies, glassware,
etc. needed to ensure that nothing is forgotten (See Step #5 below).
3. Depending on what you are using if for and how moisture sensitive your chemicals are,
the dry box will need to sit for several hours to ensure as much room air and moisture is
flushed out as possible AFTER you place everything into the dry box that you will need
for your experiment.
a. If the dry box has been sitting, unused, for a long period of time, it will need to be
flushed with the FTIR purged air for 12-24 hours (Depending on how moisture
sensitive your experiment/chemicals are)
b. If the dry box has been continuously in use, it is recommended that you let it be
flushed with purge air for at least 1 hour AFTER you close the port opening and
BEFORE you begin your experiment.
4. NOTE: Depending on how moisture sensitive your chemicals are, take every precaution
necessary to ensure that moisture does not enter their containers while you are letting the
dry box be flushed with purge air for X number of hours.
5. Once you close the ports and begin flushing with purge air, DO NOT reopen the
ports before you begin your experiment, otherwise you will have to re-flush the dry
box for one hour or longer.
a. This is why you should ensure that you have everything you will need for
your experiment inside the dry box before you begin flushing with purge air.