Monthly Archives: July 2015

Desiccants, more commonly recognized as those tiny packs of silica gel found in new shoes or luggage, have dozens of useful purposes in our daily lives. Some of the most effective desiccant gels can absorb up to 40% of their weight in moisture, protecting our gym bags from mildew or our silver jewelry from tarnishing. Although quite versatile, this household method of dry storage is usually not enough to preserve highly sensitive materials from moisture or contamination. Here are five critical specimens that you’ll find in a high performance, nitrogen-purged desiccator cabinet.

Semiconductors

It may not come as a surprise that most clean room contaminants begin with employees. Dead skin cells and hair fragments constantly shed from our bodies. And according to one cleanroom expert, viable bacteria emissions from normal activity by an un-gowned individual could release several hundred colony-forming units per minute; therefore, personnel, above all else, should be properly covered before entering the controlled environment. Otherwise, all efforts and costs to maintain your clean room are negated.

With a well-designed gowning area, proper cleanroom garments, and a strict gowning procedure, particle dispersion is minimized and the cleanliness specifications of your contained space remain uncompromised.

Below are seven tips for maintaining an optimal gowning routine. Note, the first two revent most contamination during the gowning process:

1. Gravity affects particles, too

Depending on the layout of your gowning room