A magnetic stirrer is a laboratory machine that employs a rotating magnetic discipline generated by a rotating magnet or stationary electromagnet to trigger a stirrer bar immersed inside a liquid to spin and thus rapidly stir or combine the answer.

In 1917, Richard Stringham of Utah obtained a patent for the primary magnetic stirrer. The magnets are rotated within the majority of recent magnetic stirrers by an electrical motor. A coupled heating system for warming the liquid is usually a part of a magnetic stirring system. Small volumes of low viscosity can often be stirred with magnetic stirrers. Glass or different non-metallic beakers should be used with stirrers to keep away from interference with the magnetic discipline. It’s ultimate for stirring in educational work, enterprise, agriculture, well being care, homebrewing, and many others.
Precept of Magnetic Stirrer
The magnetic stirrer operates on the rules of attraction for reverse costs and repulsion for like costs. The stirring velocity is adjustable, and it’s steadily used to stir solvents of assorted viscosities. A micromotor powers a magnet to create a rotating magnetic discipline that rotates the stirring bar contained in the vessel, enabling a completely combined response to happen. It’s geared up with a temperature management system that may warmth and regulate the pattern’s temperature in accordance with experiment necessities, guaranteeing that the combined liquid satisfies the experiment’s necessities whereas preserving the required temperature.
Components of a Magnetic Stirrer
A stir bar and a scorching plate stirrer are the 2 primary components of a magnetic stirrer. A stationary electromagnet, a scorching plate, a temperature management knob, and a velocity management knob are a few of the further parts discovered inside a scorching plate stirrer machine.

Prime plate/Sizzling plate: Chrome steel or ceramic is usually used for the plates of magnetic stirrers. Ceramic: The white floor of ceramic high hotplates makes them appropriate for titrations and different duties requiring clear colour imaginative and prescient. In addition they have excessive chemical resistance, making them ultimate whereas working with corrosive chemical substances that will splash onto the plate floor. Chrome steel: A stainless-steel high plate affords a extremely forceful coupling and stirring motion because it doesn’t produce eddy currents (like aluminum).
Stir bar: The time period “stir bar” or “spin bar” refers to a tiny, Teflon-coated, white, rectangular magnet. The only real perform of those bars is to stir options. They work in tandem with a stirring motor. The stir bar is put in a liquid-filled container, then positioned over a stirring motor. The bar spins, and the liquid is stirred when the stir motor is turned on. The vessel form and the viscosity of the stirring media decide the form of the stir bar, which may be octagonal, round, and many others. The stir bar’s dimensions vary from millimeters to a couple centimeters.
Stationary electromagnet: It’s positioned contained in the stirrer instrument that helps to generate a magnetic discipline and rotate the magnetic needle (stir bar) immersed in liquid, thereby making a high-speed stirring motion sufficient to homogenize the combination.
Velocity controlling knob: The velocity management knob is used to regulate the rotating velocity (rpm) of the stir bar relying on the liquid’s density or undertaking wants.
Temperature controlling knob: The magnetic stirrer contains a knob for temperature management which controls the temperature primarily based on the vessel measurement, the viscosity of the liquid, and its quantity.
Stir bar retriever: These magnets are completely embedded with PTFE (teflon) rod. It facilitates the protected and simple restoration of magnetic stirring and spin bars from irritant and corrosive liquid samples in glass flasks. Nonetheless, it’s much less generally employed in magnetic stirring.
Traits of Magnetic Stirrer
Capability: Clearly, working water isn’t used for stirring. Subsequently, the nominal capability is considerably larger than the actual capability. A minimal of 1 liter of surfactant resolution and roughly 250 ml of an emulsion may be accommodated within the micro fashions’ 3-liter capacities.
Most velocity: The velocity is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm) (rotations per minute). The velocity is roughly 1000 rpm. As much as 2500 revs per minute are potential with sturdy variations.
Most permitted temperature and humidity: A person ought to take a look at the instrument’s most allowable working temperature and humidity whereas working in a moist lab, in a tropical space, or planning to combine scorching supplies.
Dimensions of the mounting floor: The scale of beakers you should use with every magnetic stirrer is set by the floor space.
The magnet: There are magnets in each measurement and form conceivable, together with primary rods and different geometric shapes like ellipses, discs, and many others. The beaker should be appropriate with the scale of the stirring rod, usually 0.5–1.0 cm smaller than the beaker’s diameter. Undoubtedly, varied magnetic rods are required whereas working with completely different beaker sizes.
Magnetic Stirrer working process
- Put together a container with the liquid resolution already inside it.
- The container needs to be positioned on the hotplate.
- Hook up with the mains to activate the hotplate.
- By urgent the temperature setting button, alter the hotplate’s temperature.
- Place the magnetic stir bar in a vessel full of resolution.
- Subsequent, flip the stirrer magnetic velocity adjustment button clockwise to vary the velocity of the magnetic stirrer. Flip the magnetic stirrer adjustment knob counter-clockwise if the stirring velocity is simply too excessive.
- Stir the liquid combination till uniformity is achieved.
- Take away the magnetic stirrer from the liquid resolution container as soon as performed.
- Disconnect from the mains to show off the hotplate.
- Use scorching arms to carry the container.
Forms of Magnetic Stirrers
The selection of measurement, configuration, and purposes of magnetic stirrers are used to categorise them. A number of the kinds of magnetic stirrers are as follows:
Magnetic Mini Stirrer
The laboratory magnetic stirrers to be used in laboratories are compact and require much less area. They’ve digital controls that allow the consumer to exactly handle the velocity. It might probably face up to harmful and corrosive substances within the lab. The velocity regulator manages the rotation per minute (rpm) of the stirrer.
Magnetic Stirrer with Timer
The motor is routinely turned off after a sure time, due to a magnetic stirrer with a timer. A built-in timer will flip the stirrer off when the pre-selected length of time has elapsed. Moreover, the velocity is routinely decreased, and the load is routinely eliminated.
Heavy-Responsibility Magnetic Stirrer
Excessive mixing capacities are included with the heavy-duty magnetic stirrers. They’re additionally very sturdy and exhibit good chemical resistance. They stands out as the ultimate instrument for the lab to make use of for exact findings. Nearly all of chemical reactions require heated magnetic stirrers.
Battery Powered Magnetic Stirrer
They are often utilized in locations with no electrical energy or different restricted environments. They’re largely utilized in incubators, function on batteries, and have rubber toes to offer stability. They’re transportable and light-weight to hold.
Air-operated Turbine Magnetic Stirrer
The air-operated turbine magnetic stirrer is the best device for mixing liquids as much as 1 liter of resolution. A low-pressure air provide drives this magnetic stirrer. The essential function of this magnetic stirrer is that it eliminates the danger of sparking from electrical sources.
Functions of Magnetic Stirrer
- It’s broadly utilized in chemistry laboratories to carry out chemical experiments and synthesis by mixing two or extra parts.
- It’s used to organize a medium to tradition microorganisms in microbiology laboratories.
- It’s used to organize samples and carry out evaluation in chemistry and biology experiments.
- It’s employed to realize the utmost potential extraction effectivity from plant materials by lowering natural solvent consumption.
- Different purposes embody oil evaluation, soil suspending, buffer options preparation, pH measurement, and many others., the place it necessitates the mixing of a number of kinds of liquids to realize uniform mixing.
Benefits of Magnetic Stirrer
- It makes it potential to combine reagents at a relentless temperature.
- In a sealed container, it prevents intense boiling from occurring.
- Each the response fee and the speed of evaporation are boosted.
- Lengthy-lasting procedures like protein dialysis may be accomplished utilizing it.
- Since solely just a little magnet bar that may be rapidly cleaned and disinfected must be positioned inside the pattern, there isn’t any likelihood of contamination.
- In comparison with digital stirrers, they assure wonderful productiveness and precision and are quiet and easy to make use of.
- The stir bar can combine as much as one liter of liquid and rotates at completely different speeds.
- The samples could be blended for a number of hours and even in a single day.
- The dearth of transferring exterior components leads to no breakage and put on out.
- It has a compact measurement and occupies a small area.
Limitations of Magnetic Stirrer
- It’s ineffective for dispersing nanoparticles. Sonication-coupled magnetic stirring is used for dispersing nanotubes.
- Viscous liquids or thick suspensions are tough to take care of magnetic stirrers.
- Because of the restricted measurement of stir bars, magnetic stirrers are solely appropriate for comparatively small experiments (underneath 4 liters).
Precautions
- To forestall mishaps, the instrument housing must be appropriately grounded.
- To keep away from extreme vibration throughout operation, the medium-speed operation can run repeatedly for eight hours, and the high-speed operation can run repeatedly for 4 hours.
- To forestall hurt to the instrument, maintain it dry and clear, forbid resolution from getting into it, and switch off the ability when not in use.
- Flip off the ability and maintain gadgets in a dry, ventilated space when not in use for an prolonged time.
- Stirring heating time shouldn’t be prolonged; occasional use can lengthen the life.
- If a stirrer is thrashing or not stirring whereas mixing, sluggish it down or flip off the ability to confirm if the situation is right and the beaker’s backside is flat.
Magnetic Stirrer Examples
Hotplate Magnetic Stirrer BS collection (Biobase)
- Stirring and heating can each occur on the similar time.
- Steplessly adjustable stirring and heating energy.
- Most temperature: 380°C and most velocity: 2000 rpm

Mini Magnetic Stirrer (Thomas Scientific)
- It’s transportable and light-weight, and the small footprint frees up vital benchtop area.
- The small stirrer’s quiet operation and minimal vibration support in consumer focus by reducing lab noise.
- Best for normal stirring duties in lab environments for basic analysis, life science, business, high quality evaluation, and medical care.
Magnetic Stirrer JBQ-XJ-MS236 (Biometer)
- Its use is easy and sensible.
- The knob operation, changeable mixing velocity, and uniform mixing assist variable experimental purposes.
- Constructed-in lithium battery with an enormous capability offers a minimal battery lifetime of 48 hours, making it sensible for cellular use throughout many industries.
Magnetic laboratory stirrer Cimerac™ Primary (Thermo Scientific)
- Primary Cimarec stirrers from Thermo Scientific are perfect for on a regular basis utilization and at a low value.
- It might probably stir at charges between 100 and 2500 rpm.
- For exactly adjusting velocity, the stirrer incorporates management knobs. Its redesigned top-plate design lessens the potential of breaking.
- Moreover, the spillway design prevents inner components from being harmed by spills.
- A 1.3 cm diameter assist rod can slot in its built-in ring-stand holder.
Magnetic laboratory stirrer MST (VELP Scientifica)
- Sturdy, small, and versatile
- That includes a brushless motor
- Techno-polymer ensures nice chemical resistance.
- Accepts a flask of as much as 5 liters
- Constructed with the longest longevity in thoughts and backed by a three-year guarantee
- Best for microtitration, BOD, microbiology, and biochemistry; it stays cool even after hours of steady use.
References
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- http://www.lanphan.com/lab-instruments/How-Does-a-Magnetic-Stirrer-Work-414.html
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- https://www.kewlab.com/weblog/publish/magnetic-stirrer-working-principle-and-uses
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- Hingmire Yashashri, R., Javalgikar Akshay, S., & Mane Laxmi, B. (2017). Utility of magnetic stirrer for influencing extraction technique on Tectona grandis as analgesic exercise. Int J Pharm Clin Res, 9, 634-637.
- https://www.pce-instruments.com/f/english/media/magnetic-stirrer-introduction.pdf
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