Product Manager, Nalgene Labware and Lab Containers
Labware is to a lab what cookware is to a kitchen. In other words, you need a variety of tools—preferably high-quality ones—to get the job done right. Though pervasive, labware products are not all the same. In particular, not every beaker, cylinder, desiccator, bottle or flask is made of glass. And that’s a good thing. Plastic labware is readily available and offers significant advantages vs. conventional borosilicate glass, with improved safety, lighter weight and reduced costs topping the list.
The following facts about plastic labware merit consideration, whether you’re outfitting a new lab or simply replacing glassware that has shattered, chipped or cracked.
Shatterproof
Limited bench space and the general nature of lab work make it necessary to transport labware within the lab, and often. During all the moving and handling, including washing, it’s unavoidable: Labware gets jostled and bumped. But in contrast to borosilicate glassware, which tends to shatter, chip or crack upon impact, plastic labware is impact resistant, remaining intact when the inevitable knocks and tumbles occur. Rather than break, plastic labware absorbs shock. A plastic reagent bottle, for example, is more likely to bounce than break; the liquid inside the bottle remains contained, protecting personnel from injury, safeguarding the lab environment and conserving valuable lab materials.
Light weight
Because of its lighter weight, plastic labware is more ergonomic to handle and manipulate than glassware. Switching from glass to plastic for larger pieces of labware can make daily lab routines much more comfortable and less awkward—and also reduce repetitive-motion injuries and muscle fatigue. Converting items like desiccators, beakers, graduated cylinders and separatory funnels with volumes of one liter or more to plastic tends to pay the greatest ergonomic dividends.
To get an idea of the weight difference between plastic and glass labware, our team conducted a simple test. We took two empty desiccators, one glass and one plastic, and weighed each by itself. The conventional glass desiccator weighed about 18 pounds, and the empty Nalgene desiccator weighed only two pounds. The extra weight of a glass desiccator isn’t going to keep your samples any drier, so save your workouts for the gym.
Smooth edges
A glass beaker with a chipped rim, soaking in a soapy dish pan, poses an obvious danger. It’s a sliced hand or cut finger just waiting to happen. Even so, it can be tempting to keep using chipped glassware if the item is still functional, particularly if it’s a relatively expensive item, like a separatory funnel with a jagged out-spout. Plastic labware eliminates this hazard by maintaining smooth, fingertip-friendly edges for its entire service life.
Economical
Plastic labware helps labs save money at the time of purchase, and it also stretches your budget over the long term. Compared with glassware, plastic labware generally costs less—especially the larger pieces. Further, high-quality plastic labware is designed to resist impact and withstand the rigors of daily use, so it often lasts for many years. Thus the costs of replacing and repairing broken pieces (which are recurring costs, with glassware) are eliminated with plastic.
The expense of shipping plastic labware is lower, as well, because of the material’s light weight. That saves money two ways: when purchasing new labware for shipment to your lab and when shipping samples and materials from your lab to other locations.
Pick a plastic
Labware is made from various types of plastic, including polymers like polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate G (PETG) and polymethylpentene (PMP). Each type of plastic has its own chemical and physical properties, and it’s essential to choose a plastic that is compatible with the demands of your experiments. The various polymers perform differently, but plastic labware is available for a wide range of applications. And of course, always buy from a reputable supplier.
Digital resources are available to help you decide which Thermo Scientific™ Nalgene™ plastic labware products are appropriate for your lab. These include the online “Nalgene Bottle, Carboy and Vial Selection Guide” and the “Nalgene Bottles” app, available for the iPhone® and for AndroidTM devices.
No leakers
Leaking reagent bottles make a mess. They can also create a slip hazard, damage lab notebooks and expose lab personnel to hazardous materials. Well-designed plastic labware prevents leaking, with features such as one-piece, molded spigot mounts for plastic carboys and leak-proof, linerless caps for plastic bottles. (Cap liners can wrinkle, cause leaks and contaminate your reagents.)
Greener
Plastic labware also offers some environmental benefits. For one thing, it requires less energy to manufacture than glassware. In addition, many pieces of plastic labware—specifically those made from LDPE, HDPE, PP and PETG—can be recycled when their service life is finished. Borosilicate glass, on the other hand, is not recyclable.
Labware is an integral part of research workflows. Everyone in a lab, from veteran scientists to inexperienced students, handles labware to some extent. Replacing glassware with plastic makes the lab a safer place for all of them, while improving ergonomics and reducing costs. Isn’t it smart to break the glass habit?
Image: Thermo Fisher Scientific
Related Products from: Thermo Fisher Scientific Laboratory Equipment (LPG)