Laagvacuum

Laagvacuum is a term used in vacuum technology to describe a low-vacuum regime. It refers to a level of vacuum above high and ultra-high vacuums, typically achieved by affordable pumps like scroll, rotary vane, and diaphragm pumps.

In this regime, the chamber pressure is well below one atmosphere but still far above the pressures found in high vacuum systems. The exact pressure bounds are not uniform; most standards place Laagvacuum roughly in the low end of the vacuum spectrum, often from about 1 to 1000 pascals (roughly 0.01 to 10 millibar), though some sources extend this range.

Laagvacuum is commonly used in processes that require modest vacuum to improve drying, degassing, or thickness uniformity without the need for extreme cleanliness or ultra-low pressures. Examples include vacuum drying of heat-sensitive foods and polymers, vacuum packaging to reduce oxidation, degassing liquids and slurries, and certain coating or drying processes where faster evaporation is needed.

In equipment terms, Laagvacuum systems typically rely on mechanical pumps such as diaphragm or scroll pumps, sometimes in combination with backing pumps. They are generally simpler, cheaper, and more robust than high-vacuum configurations, but they cannot achieve the extremely low pressures required for ultra-high vacuum experiments or certain surface science studies.

Historically, the concept aligns with broader vacuum classifications and has been adopted in industrial and laboratory contexts to distinguish performance and cost envelopes.