Open Source Inert Gas Glove Box
| Type | Glove box |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maryam Mottaghi Joshua M. Pearce |
| Location | London, ON, Canada |
| Status | Designed Modelled Prototyped Verified |
| Verified by | FAST |
| Years | 2025 |
| Uses | 3D Printing |
| Links | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722500080X |
| Assembly instructions | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722500080X |
|---|---|
| Design files | https://10.17605/OSF.IO/XNQK3 |
| Hardware license | CERN-OHL-S |
| Certifications | Start OSHWA certification |
A glove box is a controlled environment used for a wide range of scientific experiments. While glove boxes provide significant advantages, their high economic costs ranging from over $1,000 to over $15,000 limits their accessibility in under-resourced labs. There are lower-cost DIY designs available on the internet, but they have not been well characterized nor validated. To overcome these limitations, in this study, an open source glove box design is developed for scientific applications using readily available components and digital distributed manufacturing using open-source RepRap-class 3D printers. The ability of the glove box to hold an inert atmosphere is quantified using an oxygen analyzer. The open source glove box can be customized to the dimensions of the user and the volume of the experiment. The design also enables the use of customizable transfer chambers that can be adjusted based on the scientific application. The open source glove box is built from a low-cost enclosure while preventing contamination. The highly portable device can reduce oxygen down to 19 ppm using an inert gas. The economic savings of the validated device compared to proprietary systems is over 95 %.
- Subject area
- Engineering and materials science
- Chemistry and biochemistry
- Hardware type : Mechanical engineering and materials science
- Closest commercial analog: Scienceware H50028-2001 Portable Glove Box; 86.6 L, Neoprene Gloves, 2 Gas Ports ($3,072.02CAD) [1]
- Open source license Designs: GNU GPL v3
- Hardware: CERN OHLv2-S
- Cost of hardware: CAD$87.51
- Source file repository doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/XNQK3
- OSHWA certification UID CA000056
See also
- Recycling silicon photovoltaic cells into silicon anodes for Li-ion batteries using 3D printing
- Open Source Scientific Bottle Roller
- AC off-grid photovoltaic powered open-source ball mill
- Open Source Lab
- Building research equipment with free, open-source hardware
- Open source science
- Open-source hardware
- Open-source syringe pump
- Open Source 3-D Printed Nutating Mixer
- Open Source Laboratory Sample Rotator Mixer and Shaker
- Open Source Digitally Replicable Lab-Grade Scales
- Open Source Vacuum Oven Design for Low-Temperature Drying: Performance Evaluation for Recycled PET and Biomass
| Authors | Joshua M. Pearce |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Organizations | FAST, Western |
| Cite as | Joshua M. Pearce (2025). "Open Source Inert Gas Glove Box". Appropedia. Retrieved June 9, 2026. |