The Ultimate Guide to Heating Mantles: Types, Sizes, and Prices

• Posted on 2 March 2023
• Posted in Buyers Guides, Heating Solutions, How To Guides, Mantles
• 1

What is a heating mantle?

Lab heating mantles are a piece of equipment providing uniform heat to a vessel. Consisting of insulated heating element wrapped around the base, creating a heat source that maintains temperature.

Types of Heating Mantles

Heating mantles come in non-stirred heating mantles and electromagnetically stirred heating mantle. Non-stirred heating mantles are used for simple heating, while stirred heating mantles have a built-in magnetic stirrer that provides continuous mixing.

A stirred heating mantle is a type of equipment combining a heating mantle and magnetic stirrer. This can be useful for reactions that require continuous mixing and temperature control, such as in distillation and reflux.

A heating mantle with a stir function are available in different sizes and safety features such as automatic shut-off in case of overheating. Digital heating mantles have digital controllers or PIDs, demonstrating precise temperature adjustment and monitoring.

Lab heating mantles have variations in how they read temperatures. Mantles with an external thermocouple must be inserted into your solution to access the temperature of whatever is being mixed. This creates confusion to the mantles as they will rapidly heat to account for the heat transfer loss into your solution. Thus, they can massively overheat and damage the contents of your solution since you are not directly able to control the temperature of the mantle.

For this reason, a Goldleaf heating mantle uses an internal thermocouple resulting in reading temperatures directly inside the mantle. This way, a user is able to monitor the exact amount of heat the being given off which prevents overshooting on temperature.

Heating Mantles Size and Shapes

Lab heating mantles are available in various sizes for different flask sizes and shapes. Round bottom heating mantles, also known as hemispherical heating mantles, are for round bottom flasks but there are multiple other shapes for beakers and flasks. Determining what glassware is best for you will determine what style heating mantle will be best for uniform heat distribution. Goldleafs heating mantle are usually designed as hemispherical heating mantles for round bottom flasks, but please inquire if you need a mantle for erlenmeyer flasks, test tubes, or flat bottom beakers. 

Hot plate vs Heating Mantles

Both hotplates and heating mantles are used in laboratories. However, there are differences between the two that are important depending on the application they will be used in.

A hotplate is a flat, metal surface with a built-in heating element used to heat up containers placed on top of it. The temperature is adjusted using a control panel, and the heat is distributed across the surface of the hotplate. Hotplates are used for simple heating tasks that don't require precise temperature control or uniform heating and are best for use with heating under 100 degrees Celsius. Once your use starts going past 100c, a hot plate may struggle.

On the other hand, a heating mantle is designed for performance of higher temperatures over 100C. The heating element inside the mantle provides even heat to the flask. These mantles are insulated to deal with high temperatures. Insulation protects the heating mantle while conserving heat and keeping your flask warm. Heating mantles are often used for more complex lab tasks that require precise temperature control and a higher heat requirement, such as distillation and reflux.

Goldleaf model heating mantles come with a heated fabric top to further insulate the glassware and prevent any evaporative cooling. Our heating mantle allows the heated fabric top to be plugged directly into the mantle which results in only one temperature controller. Other fabric heating tops must be plugged into their own PID temperature controller which adds a another device to the system that is not needed with our mantles.

Prices of Heating Mantles

The price of a heating mantle varies depending on the size, type, and features. Non-stirred heating mantles are generally less expensive than stirred heating mantles. Prices can range from a few hundred dollars for a non-stirred mantle to over several thousand for a digital heating mantle with a stirrer, depending on the size. 

Heating Mantle Conclusion:

Lab heating mantles are essential for lab processes that require precise temperature control. They come in various types, and sizes, making it easy to find one that suits your needs. Round, hemispherical heating mantles are best for round bottom flasks, while other lab heating mantles can be used for flasks, beakers, etc. Consider the factors mentioned above when choosing the right model heating mantle for your laboratory, and you'll be safe and able to conduct experiments or distillation processes accurately. Whether you need a non-stirred heating mantle, electromagnetically stirred heating mantle, or digital heating mantle, there are plenty of options available on our website today. Call us for more information on an item.