Safety Bunsen burner [How it works]
Flame sterilization remains until now a routine task carried out in many microbiological, clinical and life sciences laboratories. Bunsen burners provide a flame with temperatures up to 1200°C. Natural gas (primarily methane), liquefied petroleum gas such as propane, butane or a mixture of both are used as fuels.
Traditionally, Bunsen burners have been used as the standard equipment for routine flame sterilization work. However, the danger of working with alcohol burners, ordinary gas cookers or traditional Bunsen burners connected to a gas distribution system should not be underestimated. A major source of danger is posed by leaking systems, causing highly flammable gas to escape. Furthermore, accidents are caused by unattended burners and the fact that the hot blue flame is often barely visible.
Accidents caused by burners are relatively rare, but when they do occur they are often devastating, resulting in severe injuries or fires. It’s no wonder that safety officers are keen to encourage laboratory staff to avoid open flames whenever possible.
The safe alternative to traditional Bunsen burners
Safety Bunsen burners were developed to reduce the dangers described above. The following features make them safe burners:
Flame monitoring
To prevent dangerous gas leakage, safety Bunsen burners automatically try to reignite the flame if it accidentally extinguishes. Should it for any reason fail to do so, safety burners will interrupt the gas supply reliably.
User-defined maximum burning time
An automatic shut off after a user-defined maximum burning time eliminates any danger if the Bunsen burner is unintentionally left on. Thus, gas flows only if the flame is consciously ignited. Moreover, a short burning time reduces the risk of burns.
Alarm display feature
An alarm display on the graphical user interface indicates that the burner head is still hot in order to protect the operator from burns.
Convenient handling
Gas ignition is rapid and safe, requiring no lighter or matches, with automatic ignition triggered by an optical sensor, foot or benchtop switch to offer hands-free operation.
The FIREBOY Bunsen burner from INTEGRA is an intrinsically safe alternative to the traditional Bunsen burner connected to a laboratory gas supply. Advanced temperature protection, flame monitor and alarm display features serve to protect both the operator and operating environment. Operating from a wide range of gas cartridges and powered from a battery the robustly designed FIREBOY can be used wherever lab professionals wish.
Learn more about the FIREBOY safety Bunsen burner
