Pressure Ranges Used in Vacuum Technology and their Characteristic Features

Rough Vacuum Medium Vacuum High Vacuum UHV
Pressure range in mbar 1,013...1 1...10­3 10-7...10-7 <10-7
Particle number density in cm-3 1023..1020 1016...1013 1013...109 <109
Mean Free path in cm <10-2 10-2...10 10...105 >105
Impingement rate in cm-2 s-1 1019...1016 1020...1017 1017...1013 <1013
Monolayer time in seconds <10-5 10-5...10-2 10-2...100 >100
Type of gas flow Viscous flow Knudsen flow Molecular flow Molecular Flow
Other features Convection dependant on pressure Marked change of the thermal pressure Marked reduction of the volumx10-related collision rate Surface effects dominate

Please Note all figures are approximate and relate to air 20°C.

Outgassing Rates of Materials
as a Function of Time
Outgassing Rate in mbar L /S /cm²
Material after half hour after 1 hour after 3 hours after 5 hours
Ag 1.5x10-08 1.1x10-08 2x10-09 -
Al 2x10-08 6x10-09 - -
Cu 4x10-08 2x10-08 6x10-09 3.5x10-09
Stainless Steel - 9x10-08 3.5x10-08 2.5x10-08
Silicone 1.5x10-05 8x10-06 3.5x10-06 1.5x10-06
Perbunan 4x10-06 3x10-06 1.5x10-06 1x10-06
Acrylic Glass 1.5x10-06 1.2x10-06 8x10-07 5x10-07
Viton 7x10-07 4x10-07 2x10-07 1.5x10-07
Please note all figures are approximate and shown for guidance only.
Values will usually depend very much on pre-treatment.