Centrifuge Tube Factory introduces the difference between 3 different materials:
1. Plastic centrifuge tube
The advantage of the plastic centrifuge tube is that it is transparent or translucent, its hardness is small, and the sample can be taken out by puncture. The disadvantage is that it is easy to deform, has poor corrosion resistance to organic solvents, and has a short service life.
Plastic centrifuge tubes have tube caps, which are used to prevent sample leakage, especially when used for radioactive or highly corrosive samples. It is very important to prevent sample leakage; the tube cap also has a role to prevent sample volatilization And support the centrifuge tube to prevent deformation of the centrifuge tube. When choosing this point, you should also pay attention to check whether the tube cover is tight and whether it can be tightly closed during the test, so as to achieve no leakage when inverted; we all know that in plastic centrifuge tubes, commonly used materials are polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate, etc. Polyester (PC), polypropylene (PP), etc. Among them, polypropylene PP tubes have relatively better performance, so we consider polypropylene plastic centrifuge tubes as much as possible when selecting plastic centrifuge tubes. Plastic centrifuge tubes are generally disposable experimental equipment, and repeated use is not recommended. In order to save money, PP centrifuge tubes can be reused according to the situation, but they need to be thoroughly sterilized by high temperature and high pressure to ensure the scientificity of the experimental results. Centrifuge tubes made of PE cannot be sterilized by high temperature and high pressure. The centrifugal force or recommended speed that the product can withstand is generally indicated in the packaging or instructions of the plastic centrifuge tube. In order to ensure the safety of the experiment and the reliability of the results, a centrifuge tube that meets the speed requirements of the experiment should be selected.
2. Glass centrifuge tube
When using glass tubes, the centrifugal force should not be too large, and rubber pads are needed to prevent the tubes from breaking. Generally, glass tubes are not used in high-speed centrifuges. The cap of the centrifuge tube is not closed enough, and the liquid cannot be filled up (high-speed centrifuges and angle rotors are used) to prevent overflow and loss of balance. The consequence of spillage is to pollute the rotor and the centrifugal chamber, affecting the normal operation of the sensor. During ultracentrifugation, the centrifuge tube must be filled with liquid, because ultracentrifugation requires a high vacuum, and only filling can prevent the centrifuge tube from deforming.
3. Steel centrifuge tube
The steel centrifuge tube has high strength, no deformation, heat resistance, frost resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance. It is also widely used, but it should also avoid contact with strong corrosive chemicals, such as strong acids and strong alkalis. Try to avoid the corrosion of these chemicals.