# NanoArc multidisciplinary lab — trigger-based equipment upgrade queue **Plan date:** 2026-08-14 **Owner and purchase authority:** Tristan ## Budget and purchasing policy - The normal ceiling is CAD 100 per month and the exceptional cat-sitting ceiling is CAD 200 per month, including tax and shipping. - This ceiling is shared by all NanoArc research and development; it is not a dedicated chemistry allowance. - Unspent funds may roll forward. Do not make purchases merely to consume a monthly allowance. - Prefer Canadian or local stock, then Amazon, using mixed-value sourcing: certified or documented safety equipment and credible measurement tools, with economical generic fixtures and glassware where validation is practical. - Record a durable acceptance specification, one current candidate, and a maximum delivered price. Recheck availability and landed cost at checkout. - A listed candidate is not purchase authorization. ## Queue 1 — next SAT-HM-001 heating run ### Required gate: fixed probe and inner-vessel support Purchase a metal retort stand, thermometer clamp, and correctly sized metal support ring or beaker clamp before the next heated SAT run. Acceptance specification: - stable metal base and approximately 60 cm support rod; - base mass at least 1 kg; - clamp compatible with the stand rod and the two PTFE sheath ends; - clamp must hold a repeatable probe depth without crushing the tubing; - measure and record the 250 mL beaker body and lip diameters before ordering; - select a support ring whose opening passes the body but retains the lip, or a proper coated/cork-lined beaker clamp if no safe ring size exists; - the inner beaker must remain stable, clear of the outer beaker, and removable without placing a hand over the hot bath; - no printed part carries hot glassware or acts as the primary probe restraint. Candidate class: - Eisco/SCIEDCO `CH0649SET` stand with `CH0667A` thermometer clamp and a measured-to-fit `CH0672`-class support ring; use a proper retort/beaker clamp instead if the measured lip cannot be safely retained by a ring; - alternate: Longreen 14 x 21 x 60 cm, 1.6 kg cast-iron-base stand if restocked, paired with compatible probe and vessel restraints. Maximum combined delivered price: **CAD 90**. If no safe compatible set lands under this ceiling, defer the SAT run and return the cart for review rather than improvising a hot-glass restraint. References: - [Longreen retort/ring stand](https://www.longreenlab.ca/products/retortring-stand) - [SCIEDCO thermometer clamp](https://sciedco.ca/clamps-bossheads/thermometer-clamp-43/) - [SCIEDCO metal support rings](https://sciedco.ca/clamps-bossheads/clamps-with-support-ring-cast-iron-with-zinc-finish-49/) The apron and upgraded spill bundle are recommended improvements but, by Tristan's decision, do not block the present benign SAT formulation. The fixed probe support remains mandatory because the concentration step requires stable, repeatable temperature placement. ### Water-only acceptance rehearsal Before introducing reagents: 1. Set up at the alternate bench, open the exterior window, keep the HEPA unit clear, and verify the sink/shower route is unobstructed. 2. Inspect the goggles, tray, extinguisher, SH-2, leads, glassware, and stand. 3. Confirm the stand remains stable under light accidental cable pulls and while the inner beaker is installed and removed. 4. Confirm the probe clamp neither slips nor crushes the PTFE and the sheath remains clear of the beaker, bottom, and stir bar. 5. Confirm the ring/clamp prevents glass-to-glass contact without stressing the beaker lip or sidewall. 6. Leak-test the PTFE sheath. 7. Test magnetic coupling through the intended two-beaker water bath and record the usable stir range. 8. Compare the DMM and BIOS thermometer in stirred ice water and stirred hot water; record readings, probe lag, and SH-2 overshoot. 9. Proceed to SAT only after all fixture checks pass. Retain manual glass-rod stirring as the documented fallback if magnetic coupling fails. ## Queue 2 — opportunistic low-cost improvements Buy only when chemistry has current project priority and purchases can be consolidated economically. | Item | Acceptance requirement | Current candidate | Maximum delivered price | |---|---|---|---:| | Chemical-resistant apron | Wipeable PVC/vinyl, neck-to-knee coverage, intact ties | SCIEDCO translucent PVC apron, SKU `23-743600` | CAD 20, preferably bundled | | Spare stir bars | Five assorted PTFE-coated bars spanning the owned vessels | EKLab `EK-SB-5B` five-piece set | CAD 25, preferably bundled | | SAT-compatible spill bundle | Universal compatible absorbent, plastic scoop/pan, heavy bags, waste labels, broken-glass tongs | Assemble locally; no generic neutralizer without SDS review | CAD 20 | | Scale check masses | Stable stainless masses near 10, 20, 50, and 100 g | Economical M-class or equivalent set | CAD 25 | Treat inexpensive masses as check artifacts, not certified calibration standards. Record their source, nominal values, and cross-check history. Safety references: - [CCOHS eye and face protection](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/glasses.html) - [CCOHS chemical spill response](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/spill-response-chemicals.html) ## Queue 3 — after reproducible SAT stock exists ### Engineering-qualified milligram balance Obtain a balance only after the actual closed PCM-cell mass is measured. Acceptance specification: - capacity at least 50 g; - readability 0.001 g; - draft shield, tare function, and included check weight; - stable operation on the selected dry weighing surface; - ten repeated readings at the closed-cell mass with range no greater than 0.005 g and sample standard deviation no greater than 0.002 g; - drift no greater than 0.003 g over the normal weighing interval; - repeatable detection of added 0.005 g and 0.010 g masses. The formal PCM leakage limit remains 0.010 g per ten-cycle block. Do not accept display resolution as proof of accuracy and do not weaken the gate to fit an instrument. Consumer Gemini/Fuzion 50 g-class units may be evaluated, but a unit that fails the tests is screening-only. If no sub-CAD-100 candidate qualifies, roll funds forward for a credible used professional balance. ### Second temperature channel Attempt to qualify the owned BIOS dial thermometer as the simultaneous bath channel. It must remain readable in the recorded video and show stable, characterized agreement with the DMM probe. If it fails either condition, add a second digital immersion-temperature channel before formal PCM cycling. ## Queue 4 — project-triggered future additions Do not purchase these until an approved experiment requires them: - calibrated pH meter, replaceable probe, storage solution, and fresh pH 4.00, 7.00, and 10.00 buffers; - volumetric flasks, burette, or micropipette for quantitative solution work; - conductivity instrumentation and reference electrodes for electrochemistry; - stereo microscope or fixed macro-imaging rig; - duplicate borosilicate vessels and compatible reagent bottles; - purpose-built electrochemistry cells and electrode holders; - PHREEQC and its reference databases. Near-term programme order is SAT preparation, formal PCM cells, then hydrogel/electroplating work unless Tristan changes NanoArc priorities. ## Storage and fixture work - Segregate and label compatible bins for acids, bases, dry salts/reagents, retained samples, and waste. Never mix incompatible wastes. - Label all working and retained containers `LAB - NOT FOOD` where confusion is plausible. - Photograph equipment and record equipment ID, supplier, model, range, condition, delivered cost, stated specifications, validation results, and final disposition. - Use the Ender 5 for cold, noncritical holders, guards, and camera fixtures. Printed parts are not hot structural supports, pressure boundaries, calibrated references, or untested chemical-containment barriers. - The eyewash bottle begins immediate flushing; the nearby household sink/shower supplies sustained running water. No plumbing retrofit is part of this plan.