(I) Briefly describe the important position of glass containers in the laboratory
In the laboratory, a space full of exploration and discovery, glass containers undoubtedly occupy an extremely important position. It can be regarded as an essential tool for chemical analysis work, and it is involved in almost all kinds of experiments and is indispensable.
Generally speaking, most chemical laboratories use glassware to carry out experiments, and only a small number of experiments use plastic utensils to reduce interference with the experiment. This is because the glassware used in chemical experiments has the characteristics of small thermal expansion coefficient and resistance to sudden cooling and heating due to its special composition. At the same time, it also has a very high thermal stability and chemical stability, and compared with plastic utensils, chemical glassware has a higher melting temperature.
Glass containers such as graduated tubes, pipettes, measuring cylinders, burettes, volumetric flasks, thermometers, test tubes, flasks, beakers, conical flasks, funnels, droppers, glass rods, rubber-tipped droppers, etc., which are commonly used in daily work, play a key role in different experimental links. For example, beakers can be used to hold and heat liquids, and are indispensable for mixing reactants, heating reactants, evaporating and drying; measuring cylinders can accurately measure the volume of liquids, providing accurate data support for preparing chemical reagents or determining the volume of certain chemical reactions; pipettes can accurately transfer liquids from one container to another.
It can be said that glass containers run through the entire experimental process, from the preliminary preparation of the experiment, the preparation of reagents, to the carrying and observation during the reaction, and then to the later measurement and analysis. Because of this, their importance is self-evident. Next, let us take a deeper look at the high-quality glass container products provided by our manufacturers.
2. Advantages of glass containers in laboratories
(I) Advantages of material properties
In terms of chemical stability: glass containers have excellent chemical stability and generally do not react with most of the chemicals they contain. In the laboratory, whether it is acidic, alkaline, or various organic solvents and other chemical reagents, when placed in glass containers, their properties can be well maintained and will not change due to the interaction between the container material and them, thereby ensuring that the properties of the experimental substances are not interfered with by the container, providing a strong guarantee for the accuracy of the experimental results. For example, when conducting acid-base neutralization titration experiments, the acid and alkali solutions in the glass burette and conical flask can exist stably, allowing the experimenters to accurately operate, observe phenomena and record data, accurately obtain the titration endpoint, and thus ensure the accuracy of the entire experiment.
From the perspective of physical properties: glass has the characteristics of high temperature resistance and sudden cooling and heating resistance, which makes it perfectly adaptable to different temperature change environments such as heating and cooling in the laboratory. In some experiments that require high-temperature reactions, such as distillation and purification of certain compounds in organic chemistry, glass flasks are used as reaction containers. Even under the high temperature of heating equipment such as alcohol lamps or heating jackets, glass flasks can still work stably without deformation or cracking. In experiments that require low-temperature preservation of samples, such as low-temperature refrigeration of certain cell samples and microbial samples in biological experiments, glass centrifuge tubes, cryopreservation tubes and other containers will not be easily damaged when placed in a low-temperature refrigerator or liquid nitrogen environment, and can protect the samples well and prepare for subsequent experiments.
Transparency: The transparency of glass is a major advantage, which makes it easy for experimenters to clearly observe various phenomena in the reaction system, such as color changes, precipitation formation, gas generation, etc. In chemical experiments, when two solutions react chemically, the experimenter can monitor the reaction process in real time through a transparent glass container. For example, when copper sulfate solution and sodium hydroxide solution are mixed in a glass beaker, the formation of blue precipitation can be directly seen; when conducting a replacement reaction experiment between metals and acids, it can be observed whether there are bubbles in the solution and the dissolution of the metal, etc. Recording these experimental data in a timely manner helps analyze the degree of reaction and information such as reaction products, which is of great significance for the control of the entire experiment and subsequent result analysis.
(II) Processing and use advantages
Easy to process and shape: Glass can be melted at high temperature and, with its good plasticity, can be molded into containers of various shapes and specifications to meet the different experimental needs of the laboratory. There are many types of glass containers commonly found in laboratories, such as flasks of various shapes, round-bottom flasks, flat-bottom flasks, conical flasks, etc., as well as beakers, volumetric flasks, test tubes, etc. of different specifications. For example, when conducting small-scale chemical reactions, small test tubes can be used as reaction vessels, which are easy to operate and observe; when mixing and heating a large number of substances, large-capacity beakers can come in handy; for experiments that require accurate preparation of a certain amount of substance concentration solution, volumetric flasks can complete the task well with their precise scale and suitable shape. These glass containers of different shapes and specifications are made through processing technology, providing a basic guarantee for the laboratory's diversified experiments.
Easy to clean and reuse: The surface of the glass container is relatively smooth, which makes it easy to clean. As long as the standard cleaning process is followed and the appropriate cleaning agent, brush and other tools are used, the residual chemicals and impurities inside and outside the glass container can be removed. Moreover, after cleaning, the glass container can be reused many times, saving costs for the laboratory and conforming to the concept of sustainable use. For example, after finishing a chemical experiment, rinse the used glass flasks and beakers with tap water, then wash them with appropriate detergents, and finally rinse them with distilled water several times. After drying, they can be used again for other experiments. Compared with disposable experimental supplies, it greatly reduces the material consumption and expenditure of the laboratory.
3. Quality assurance of our manufacturer's glass containers
(I) Excellent selection of raw materials
Our manufacturer is well aware of the key impact of raw materials on the quality of glass containers, so we are very particular about the selection of glass raw materials. The selected glass raw materials are of high purity and excellent quality, and are all from suppliers with excellent reputation in the industry. These high-quality raw materials ensure that the quality of the glass containers we produce is reliable from the source and can meet the high standards for laboratory use.
We refer to the top ten brands of glass raw materials, such as Taiwan Glass, SG Nanbo, G-CRYSTAL Jinjing and other well-known brands for screening (Source: China Brand Network), and select those glass raw materials with extremely low impurity content and strong chemical stability from many raw materials. In the laboratory, we often come into contact with various acid and alkali reagents and organic solvents. If the raw materials of the glass container are not pure enough and of poor quality, it is easy to react with these chemicals, which will affect the accuracy of the experimental results and may even damage the container and endanger the safety of the experiment. With excellent raw materials, we effectively avoid these problems and provide reliable glass container products for the laboratory.
(II) Advanced production technology support
In addition to high-quality raw materials, our manufacturer also uses modern production technology to create glass containers to ensure the high quality of the products.
In the mold forming process, we use precise mold technology to accurately shape glass containers of various specifications and shapes to meet the diverse needs of different laboratory experimental scenes. Whether it is a small and exquisite pipette or a large-capacity flask, it can achieve the requirements of precise size through mold forming, ensure that its capacity scale is accurate, and can play its due role in the experiment.
At the same time, strict temperature control is also a key link in our production process. In the glass melting process, the temperature range is accurately controlled so that the glass liquid can be fully and evenly melted to avoid local overheating or incomplete melting, and ensure the consistency of the glass material. In the cooling stage after molding, the temperature change rate is also reasonably controlled to prevent internal stress caused by sudden temperature changes, which may cause glass containers to break or deform.
With the support of this series of advanced production processes, the glass containers we produce have uniform wall thickness and flawless appearance. Whether it is the flatness of the appearance or the overall texture, they all show excellent quality and can perfectly adapt to the rigorous working environment of the laboratory.
(III) Strict quality inspection and control
In order to ensure that every glass container that flows to the market and is delivered to laboratory users meets high quality requirements, our manufacturer has established multiple strict quality inspection processes.
Compression testing is an important part. Glass containers in the laboratory may face various pressure environments, such as some experiments that require pressurized treatment of internal materials, or being squeezed during transportation and storage. We use professional compression testing equipment to simulate various possible pressure scenarios and apply corresponding pressure to glass containers. Only products that can withstand the specified pressure value without cracking or deformation can pass this test.
Sealing test should not be ignored either. After all, many laboratory experiments need to be carried out in a sealed environment. Once the sealing of the glass container is not good, the outside air and impurities will enter the container, which will seriously interfere with the experimental results. We use methods such as visual inspection to preliminarily judge the sealing of the glass bottle, check whether the lid is intact, whether the bottle mouth is flat, etc. (Source: Introduction to glass bottle sealing test method - Mobile NetEase); for products that need to meet higher standards, professional testing instruments will be used to strictly test the sealing performance in accordance with the pressure test and instantaneous pressure resistance test specified in relevant standards such as GB/T 17876 (Source: Introduction to glass bottle sealing test method - Mobile NetEase), to ensure that there is no risk.
In addition, corrosion resistance test is also a key step. Considering that the laboratory will use various chemical reagents of different properties, glass containers must have good corrosion resistance. We place the glass container in different acid, alkali, organic solvent and other chemical environments, observe its surface changes, quality loss, etc., and test whether it can remain stable in the long-term contact with various chemical substances. Only products with qualified corrosion resistance indicators will be judged as qualified.
Only glass containers that have passed strict tests and all indicators are qualified will eventually flow into the market, providing solid use guarantees for laboratory users.
IV. Our manufacturer's rich product types of glass containers
(I) Introduction to common glass containers
Flasks:
Round-bottom flask: It is a flask-type glassware commonly used in laboratories. The bottom is spherical. Boron is usually added according to the Pyrex specifications to increase heat resistance. Some of the bottom ends are flattened to facilitate upright standing. The mouth of the round-bottom flask is relatively thin, which can prevent the liquid from flowing out. It is suitable for long-term heating. It is a commonly used heating and reaction container in chemical experiments and has a wide range of uses. For example, when distilling and purifying certain compounds in organic chemistry experiments, the round-bottom flask can be used as a direct heating container, using a Bunsen burner to heat it through a metal mesh embedded with asbestos or ceramics to make it evenly heated; it can also heat a large amount of liquid in a closed manner, and can also perform fountain experiments, etc. When in use, the bottleneck is usually fixed to the experimental stand with a clip, and the flask should be placed on the asbestos net when heating. It cannot be heated directly with a flame. Heating can also be carried out through electric heating pads, water baths, etc. At the same time, it should be noted that the liquid in the flask should not exceed 1/2 of its volume (for fear that too much solution will easily splash out when boiling or the pressure in the flask will be too high and explode).
Flat-bottomed flask: The bottom of the flat-bottomed flask is flat and can be placed directly on the experimental table. It is often used to assemble gas generators, etc. It is more commonly used as a gas generation container under non-heating conditions, and is also often used to assemble washing bottles, etc. However, due to its small bottom plane, ridged edges, large stress, and easy to burst when heated, it is generally not used as a reaction container under heating conditions. If you want to heat a flat-bottomed flask, you must pad it with an asbestos net, and the amount of liquid contained should not exceed 1/2 of the volume of the flask. For example, in some small-scale organic synthesis experiments, if heating reaction is not required, you can choose a flat-bottomed flask as a reaction container to facilitate the addition and mixing of reagents.
Beakers:
A beaker is a shallow and wide cylindrical glass container, usually with precise scales. It plays many important roles in the laboratory, and beakers of different specifications play different roles. Large-capacity beakers can be used for batch processing of solutions, such as when preparing some chemical reagents and need a large amount of solvent to dissolve the solute, large-capacity beakers can come in handy; while small beakers are convenient for reactions of some small doses of reagents, such as when conducting small-scale chemical reaction observations or performing simple chemical treatments on a small amount of samples, small beakers are more flexible and convenient to operate. At the same time, beakers are mainly used to store, heat and mix liquid reagents, such as the preparation of solutions and the conduct of many chemical reactions. Its flat bottom design allows it to be placed on a heating plate or hot plate for heating, but care should be taken to avoid adding liquid that exceeds its capacity to avoid overflow. During the heating process, care should also be taken to avoid sudden heating or rapid cooling to avoid breaking the beaker.
Reagent bottles:
Wide-mouth reagent bottles: The mouth of the bottle is larger than that of ordinary bottles. It is mainly used to hold solid reagents. This large-diameter bottle mouth is convenient for taking solid reagents. The bottle color is divided into white and brown. The brown bottle is used to hold reagents that need to be stored away from light. For example, some chemicals that are easily decomposed by light need to be placed in brown wide-mouth reagent bottles. The bottle body is generally made of polypropylene and other materials. It can resist the corrosion of acids, alkalis, saline solutions and various organic solvents. It has chemical resistance, heat resistance, electrical insulation, high-strength mechanical properties and good high wear resistance processing properties. However, it should be noted that the wide-mouth reagent bottle cannot be heated. To prevent contamination of the reagent, the bottle cap should be placed upside down on the table, and the bottle cap cannot be changed. If the size is not suitable, it is easy to cause the reagent to deteriorate.
Narrow-mouth reagent bottle: It is mainly used to hold liquid reagents. Common liquid reagents such as various acid and alkali solutions and organic solvents are mostly stored in narrow-mouth reagent bottles. For some substances that need to be stored away from light, such as silver nitrate solutions and other reagents that are easily decomposed by light, brown narrow-mouth reagent bottles will be used to hold them. When storing alkaline solutions, reagent bottles should be plugged with rubber stoppers instead of glass stoppers. This is because the hydroxide ions of strong alkali react with the silica in the glass, and the product will cause the bottle mouth to stick to the stopper.
(II) Display of special glass containers
Our manufacturer also produces glass containers with special designs or functions to meet the refined requirements of some specific experiments. For example, glass containers with precise scales play an important role in experiments that require accurate measurement of liquid volume. For example, in chemical analysis experiments, accurately preparing solutions of a certain concentration, or determining the exact volume of the reagents taken during titration experiments, all require this kind of glass container with scales, which allows experimenters to operate more accurately and reduce experimental errors.
There are also containers with special sealing structures. For example, some glass containers use a new type of sealing cover design, which can achieve better sealing through unique buckles or rubber sealing gaskets and other structures. In some experiments with high sealing requirements, such as those that require an oxygen-free environment or prevent the entry of external impurities, this special sealing structure of the glass container can ensure the stability of the internal environment of the container, ensure that the experimental results are not disturbed by external factors, and provide strong guarantees for the smooth progress of the experiment and the accuracy of the results.
5. Service advantages of choosing our manufacturer's glass containers
(I) Customized service
In the actual application of the laboratory, different experimental projects often have various special requirements for glass containers. Our manufacturer is well aware of this and provides customized services for this purpose.
