Glove Box Commissioning & Dry-Down: Hit ppm in 24 Hours

Why this phase decides your baseline

Your first 24 hours set the long-term H₂O/O₂ baseline. If purge and dry-down are weak, the purifier spends weeks “firefighting.” Do it once, do it right.

TL;DR (what to actually do)

• Leak test first: run a pressure-decay check on day-one; confirm the box meets your leak-rate target.
• Big purge: perform ~10× chamber volume gas exchange, then switch to circulation.
• Low-temp bake: 40–60 °C (materials-safe), circulation on; no open solvents.
• Regenerate by data, not calendar: once dew point/O₂ plateau low, run one proper regeneration.
• Log the baseline: capture 0/6/12/24 h O₂ & dew-point plots and actions.

Step-by-step (floor-proof)

1) Arrival check & leak test (≈1 h)

• Inspect gloves, viewports, and O-rings.
• Pressurize to +5 mbar and log a 60–120 min pressure-decay. No abnormal drift.

2) Initial purge (≈2–4 h)

• Estimate chamber volume V; target 10× V exchange.
• Feed from top/back, vent away from inlet (avoid short-circuit).
• After purge, switch to closed-loop circulation.

3) Low-temp bake + circulate (≈6–12 h)

• Set 40–60 °C (respect component limits) and keep the blower on.
• Do not leave solvent containers open.
• Log O₂ & dew point hourly.

4) Regeneration (≈1–3 h)

• When dew point/O₂ level off low, run a standard regeneration (≤5% H₂ in N₂ forming gas; proper exhaust & interlocks).
• Resume circulation until readings re-stabilize.

5) Baseline capture & handoff (end of day)

• Acceptance targets: dew point ≤ −40 °C, O₂ ≤ 1–5 ppm (tighten per your chemistry).
• Archive: timestamps, purge volume, temp, plots, regen parameters, leak-rate result.

Troubleshooting (symptom → cause → fix)

• Dew point drops slowly → walls not dry / solvent vapor → raise to 50–60 °C, extend time; add cold/charcoal trap; eliminate open solvents.
• O₂ oscillates → sloppy antechamber practice / no equalization → enforce three vacuum cycles + equalize before inner door opens.
• Post-regen still high → media aged or solvent-poisoned → evaluate regen curve; consider media replacement.
• Noisy/jagged curves → sensor in a dead zone / uncalibrated → sample the main circulation stream; perform quarterly calibration.

Targets & monitoring (set alarms)

• Overpressure: +3–8 mbar
• Dew point: ≤ −40 °C (stricter for air-sensitive work)
• O₂: ≤ 1–5 ppm
• Logging: Capture first-day curves; export a weekly trend thereafter.