Resumen de Construction and Application of an Affordable “Light Duty” Overhead Mechanical Stirrer for the Teaching Laboratory
Jake Morris, Cameron Stewart, George N. Harakas
The overhead mechanical stirrer is a versatile and valuable tool for the laboratory. Even a low-end mechanical stirrer is rather expensive and can pose serious safety concerns for use by high school or undergraduate students. The construction and application of a low-cost overhead mechanical stirrer is described in this work. The mechanical stirrer is constructed using a commercially available USB powered mini-pottery wheel and other low-cost materials. The total cost of construction is less than $50 per stirrer. This overhead mechanical stirrer is designed for use with low to medium viscosity liquids. This stirrer has been successfully used in the synthesis of a ferrofluid in the Advanced Inorganic Chemistry laboratory at Radford University. The fabrication of the glass stirring shaft is used as an opportunity for students to learn scientific glassblowing skills.
