Glass
Soda Lime Glass
- Commonly known as flint glass
- Resists attack from most common chemicals
- Impermeable to oxygen and other gases
- No permeation of container contents through glass wall
Amber Glass
- Resists attack from most common chemicals
- Impermeable to oxygen and other gases
- No permeation of container contents through glass wall
- Recommended for UV light-sensitive samples
Borosilicate Glass – 33 Expansion
- Very high resistance against chemical attack
- Meets requirements for USP Type I, Class A glass
- Low coefficient of expansion gives high resistance to thermal shock
- Low alkali content
- Made without elements of calcium, magnesium, zinc groups, or heavy metals
- Combined total of arsenic and antimony oxides is less than 0.005%
Borosilicate Glass – 51 Expansion
- Very high resistance against chemical attack
- Meets requirements for USP Type I, Class B glass
Plastic
High-density Polyethylene (HDPE)
- Translucent
- Flexible, but more rigid than low-density polyethylene
- Highly resistant to non-oxidizing acids and aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons
- Suitable for soil and sludge sampling
Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE)
- Translucent
- High impact resistance
- Excellent resistance to weak or dilute acids, strong or concentrated acids, aliphatic alcohols, and bases
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
- PTFE is widely known as TEFLON®
- Opaque
- Maximum temperature use 250°C
- Excellent resistance to weak acids, most strong acids, and bases
- Very resistant to organic solvents
- Can be autoclaved repeatedly
Polypropylene (PP)
- Translucent
- Rigid
- Excellent stress-crack resistance
- Effectively resists weak and concentrated acids, aliphatic alcohols, and bases
- Can be autoclavable repeatedly
PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)
- Glass-like clarity
- Flexible
- Less permeable to oxygen than polyethylene
- Excellent resistance to dilute or weak acids, aliphatic acids, and aliphatic hydrocarbons
Polystyrene (PS)
- Glass-like clarity
- Rigid
- Strong resistance to aqueous solutions
- Limited resistance to organic solvents
- Brittle at ambient temperature
- May crack or break if dropped from bench-top height
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Transparent
- Extremely good resistance to oils (except essential oils)
- Very low permeability to most gases