Construction of an Inexpensive Portable Fume Hood Suitable for Small Classroom Demonstrations

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 12 Issue 4 (2007) pp 273-275

Construction of an Inexpensive Portable Fume Hood Suitable for Small Classroom Demonstrations

Laura J. Owens and Eugene T. Smith*

Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, esmith@fau.edu
Received October 11, 2006. Accepted February 24, 2007.

Published online: 4 August 2007

Abstract. The construction of an inexpensive portable fume hood suitable for small classroom demonstrations is described. The fume hood consists primarily of an acrylic box fitted with additional components that are all available at home improvement stores. A commercially available fume extraction unit suitable for exhausting chemical fumes is fitted to the box through a dryer duct vent. The fume hood is designed to assemble/disassemble in less than ten minutes. It can be stored conveniently in a small space, and it can be transported to outreach events in the trunk of a car. This device was designed to safely vent fumes for small demonstrations and is not meant to be utilized as a safety shield.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; general chemistry; fume hood

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: esmith@fau.edu)

Article in PDF format (193 KB) HTML format page numbers updated 9/15/07

Supporting Materials:

Quicktime movie of the fume hood in action (404 MB).