Centrifuge Tubes are essential laboratory tools for conducting various experiments. Choose tubes made from materials that can withstand your chemicals and meet the speed requirements of your machine.
Also, choose tubes with caps to prevent leaks and contamination. Opt for snap caps or screw seals to ensure a secure fit.
Centrifuge tubes are essential to numerous laboratory experiments, from separating blood components and extracting DNA to purifying proteins and conducting other molecular biology applications. Choosing the right tubes ensures accurate results and optimal performance in your experiments. To select the best centrifuge tube for your needs, consider the following considerations:
Material
The materials used to make centrifuge tubes affect their chemical resistance and durability. Some common tubing materials include polypropylene (PP), polyallomers (PA), and polycarbonate (PC). Depending on your samples, choose the type of tubing that will resist the chemicals or solvents you will be using to avoid undesirable reactions that could impact your results.
Caps:
Securely capping your centrifuge tubes is important to prevent sample loss and contamination. Choose from a range of cap styles, including screw caps and snap closures. Leakproof seals are also available for use with certain tube types. You may also prefer a color-coded option for easier sample identification. Make sure your caps will fit your tubes before purchasing them, as caps that are too loose or tight can affect the performance of your centrifuge tube.
Capacity
Centrifuge tubes contain liquids during centrifugation, which separates samples into their components by spinning them around a fixed axis. This separation allows scientists to identify the different parts of a sample and analyze them separately. Centrifuge tubes are available in a wide range of volume capacities, materials, configurations, RCF ratings, and closure types. They may also be sterile or non-sterile. Additionally, they may have printed or molded graduations that can measure value to varying levels of precision.
Choosing the right tube depends on many factors, such as the RCF rating and how fast you plan to spin your samples. The RCF rating measures the force of gravitational acceleration applied during operation, so it’s important to ensure that your tubes can handle the amount of pressure that will be exerted on them.
The material of the tubes also matters, especially if you’re working with certain chemicals that are toxic to plastics. Look for tubes that are made from durable, US FDA-approved materials and that are resistant to chemicals that could erode them over time.
You’ll also want to consider the shape of your centrifuge tubes, as well as any special features you might need them to have. For example, some researchers prefer to use snap cap centrifuge tubes because they are easy to open and close one-handed with a syringe or needle. Additionally, these tubes have dual graduation scales of 0.2mL and 0.5mL for the most precise measurements.
Some labs require that their centrifuge tubes have a leakproof seal, which is essential to prevent spills and loss of valuable sample fluid during the spin cycle. Look for tubes with plug-seal screw caps and designated areas for labelling to help with identification and organization. These features can also help prevent errors during the sample process. Additionally, some labs choose to invest in clear or transparent centrifuge tubes to allow for easier visual inspection of the contents during centrifugation and subsequent procedures. In addition, some labs need their centrifuge tubes to be able to withstand high temperatures. These tubes should be able to resist heat up to 121oC.
Speed
Centrifuge tubes may not seem like the biggest decision you’ll make for your lab, but picking the right ones will ensure that the samples are treated properly and that the results are accurate. There are many different factors to consider, such as the type of sample you’re working with, whether it needs to be refrigerated or incubated, what rpm or G force the tubes can be spun at, and whether you’re working with light sensitive samples or not.
Centrifugation allows for separation of solid, denser test parts from liquid, making it easier to pipette the right amount of sample into a tube without spilling any. The tube bottoms are also designed to increase accuracy by directing the sample down to a smaller surface area. They’re typically made with a cylindrical shape, but they can also be found with a conical or flat bottoms depending on your needs.
Glass and plastic centrifuge tubes are available in a variety of capacities, with sizes ranging from 15ml to 50ml. There are also microcentrifuge tubes, which are a semi-conical shape and have hinged lids that seal tightly. You can find these in both glass and plastic, as well as in a range of colors to help you keep track of samples. The most common materials for centrifuge tubes include glass and USP class VI virgin polypropylene. They are typically produced in a cleanroom and inspected for cleanliness, and they’re also certified free of RNase, DNase, human DNA, PCR inhibitors, and pyrogens.
Some of these centrifuge tubes are marked with graduations, while others have a large write-in area for identifying samples. They’re often molded with ribbed edges to increase strength, and they’re also constructed of a durable material that can withstand high speeds. They’re a good choice for many applications, including blood-related research, DNA extractions, and protein purification protocols. You can even use them in refrigerated centrifuges to spin phenol or chloroform extractions. Just be sure to sterilize them properly, following your lab’s guidelines. Ideally, you should only fill the tubes three-fourths of the way to prevent leakage.
Disposal
Centrifuge tubes are a key laboratory tool that can be utilized in a wide range of laboratory methods. They are designed to fit into a centrifuge, a piece of equipment that rotates samples at high speeds to cause separation of the materials within the sample. These vessels are used in a variety of applications including separating components from blood samples, sedimenting cells and viruses, and clarifying liquids. They are generally made of plastic or glass and come in a number of different sizes and shapes.
While they can be used for many purposes, they are most often used to collect or hold a sample during a lab process. They are commonly paired with a rotor that separates the samples based on their density and size. This method of separation takes advantage of the gravitational force generated by a centrifuge’s rotation and can allow particles with a higher density to sink while those with a lower density can float in the medium.
To ensure the safe operation of a centrifuge, it is important to properly balance the machine by using samples and tubes with similar weights. This will prevent any imbalance that could strain the machine or result in a loss of samples. It is also essential to keep a log book for each run with details such as time, temperature, speed, rotor number and revolutions, and notes on the condition of the rotor.
Since they are used in a wide range of applications and are made from plastics, which are susceptible to degradation over time, it is crucial that scientists sterilize or dispose of these single-use plastic products on a regular basis to reduce the risk of contamination and ensure accurate results. This can be accomplished through frequent washing with detergents, bleach solutions, or scrubbing with a brush. In addition, regular cleaning can help extend the lifespan of centrifuge tubes and minimize waste.
Research labs in the United States contribute an unimaginable amount of disposable plastic to our waste streams each year, partially because there are few local disposal options for these items. To combat this issue, TerraCycle, a leading recycler of industrial and consumer packaging and named one of the World’s 100 Fastest-Growing Inner City Businesses by Fortune, has developed the Zero Waste Box, which provides an alternative to traditional landfill disposal. This program accepts centrifuge tubes and other rigid lab plastics, which are separated from other medical and hazardous waste at your facility, then shipped to and processed by TerraCycle for recycling.