vakuumprocess

A vacuumprosess, or vakuumprocess, refers to any industrial or scientific procedure conducted in a vacuum or near‑vacuum environment in order to remove gases and to enable physical or chemical processes that would be hindered by air, moisture, or oxidation. The process typically takes place in a sealed chamber where air is pumped out by specialized pumps and monitored by vacuum gauges. Pressures used in vacuum processes span from rough vacuum to ultrahigh vacuum, roughly from around 1,000 pascal (or higher) down to below 10‑7 pascal, depending on application.

Common types of vacuum processes include vacuum drying, vacuum distillation and degassing, vacuum annealing, and vacuum coating. Vacuum drying uses reduced pressure to vaporize solvents at lower temperatures, minimizing thermal damage. Vacuum distillation removes volatile components under low pressure to prevent boiler decomposition. Vacuum annealing heat-treats materials in a low-oxygen environment to reduce oxidation and improve microstructure. Vacuum coating encompasses physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods such as e-beam evaporation and sputtering, often combined with chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes performed under controlled vacuum to achieve high-purity thin films and coatings.

Applications span semiconductor manufacturing, optics and photonics, protective and functional coatings, metallurgy, and pharmaceuticals (for drying or drying-assisted crystallization). Vacuum packaging is used to extend shelf life by removing air and reducing oxidation.

Benefits of vacuum processing include reduced contamination, improved material purity and film quality, lower processing temperatures for some steps, and better control of reactions. Limitations include high equipment costs, stringent leak-tightness requirements, and maintenance needs to sustain high vacuum levels.