TOPIC: GLASSWARES AND PLASTICWARES

GLASS PROPERTIES PURPOSE

Borosilicate glass for beakers, flasks and pipets
Kimax/ Pyrex High resistance to heat and cold shock can be heated/autoclaved
Can be etched with alkali
Aluminum silicate glass Used under conditions of
6x stronger that borosilicate stress
Corex Better able to resist clouding due to
alkali and scratching

>98% silicate for high precision analytical

Comparable to fused quartz work,
High silica Heat, chemical and electrical tolerant optical reflectors and mirrors
Excellent optical properties

Alkali resistant, poor heat resistance, High alkali solutions

Boron-free soft <0.2% boron

Amber or red floor reduces light For use with light sensitive
exposure of contents materials in a range at 300nm
Low Actinic to 500nm like Bilirubin, Vit A
and Carotene

Soda lime glass containing oxides of For disposable glass wares

sodium, silicon and calcium
Poor resistance to high temperature
Flint
Poor chemical resistance
May lead to organic contaminants

Thin metallic oxide fire-bonded to glass conducts electricity,

surface electrostatic shield, protects
Coated
against infrared

Made of Soda Lime, lead and Prisms lenses and optical

Optical
borosilicate mirrors
High thermal resistance, chemically hot plates and heat exchanges
Pyroceram stable, corrosion resistance

Relatively inert chemically, Used for pipet tips, test tubes

Resistant to most acids, alkalis and salts.
Polypropylene
Can be autoclaved

Polyethylene Relatively inert chemically. used for test tubes, bottles,

 Resistant to most acids (except disposable transfer pipets, test
concentrated H2SO4), alkalis and salts. tube racks
Can’t be autoclaved

Stronger than polypropylene and better used for centrifuge, tubes,

temp tolerance, but chemical resistance graduated cylinders.
Polycarbonate is not good.
Clear, resistant to shattering

Rigid, clear. used for test tubes, graduated

Shouldn’t be autoclaved, will crack and cylinder
Polystyrene
splinter

Polyvinyl Soft and flexible but porous Frequently used as tubing

chloride
Extremely inert Used for stir bards, stopcocks,
Teflon Excellent temp tolerance and chemical tubings
resistance.