Science Breathes through Glass Test Tubes

If you ever visited a laboratory, you must have seen some small, thin and pretty looking shiny glass vessels with round bottom. These vessels are actually the glass test tubes. From a chemistry lab to biology lab, these test tubes are found everywhere when it comes to separating samples from other things. One can find these test tubes in different sizes as per their utility. The larger ones are generally used to heat up the content it carries and are also called the boiling tubes. The size of the test tube ranges from 10 to 25 mm diameter and 50 to 200 mm in length. There are some features of the test tubes that can call for the attention. And they are the primary drivers of their popularity in chemical laboratory field.

Characteristics of test tubes:

Generally the test tubes irrespective of their size have a round bottom; this feature is added in the structure of the tubes to avoid the careless handling of the samples it handles. So, with their round bottoms, they do not settle on the plain ground and forcefully the user has to put it into its stand. Depending on the size of the test tube, size of stand depends. Thus this feature helps to avoid the accidental destruction of samples in the laboratory as well as can be used for temporary holding of the chemical in it.

The best quality test tubes are always made of Borosilicate glass. Due to this quality material, it becomes easy to heat the substance inside by placing the tube directly on the flame. The material of these tubes is specially fabricated to tolerate high temperature. But heating the test tube does not mean taking them to a temperature where they will practically explode due rise in temperature. Many of the test tubes come with a rubber stopper to protect the content inside. Not only that, this material makes the tubes crystal clear and provides better transparency, which is very much important in different processes and experiments. Due to these tubes, professionals can do the process like stirring very easily.

The most common use of test tubes is in qualitative experiments. The special design of these small test tubes prevents the loss of substance. Due to its small surface, test tube does not allow the content to evaporate rapidly while heating.

Use of test tubes:

During various experiments, the scientists use this test tube for different means like capturing gases in them, storing the sample, heating substances and pouring a small amount of chemicals from them etc. Due to this multi utility only, the tubes are preferred by professionals in glass rather than in any other material.

So, now we know how many uses and benefits this small and delicate looking glass test tube can have. They perform tasks that look too tough for them at the first sight, but due to their great strength these things become possible. Probably it is difficult for a laboratory to imagine their work center without these test tubes.

Author: The author is well known expert of glass industry who possess years of experience in lab glassware and is currently serving  Oberoi Scientific Corporation as quality expert. He is known for providing his valuable advise to people who need it through e-mail.