Plastic Vs Glass

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Plastic Vs Glass in Laboratory
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• Traditionally, glass and steel lab ware had been
  the choice of laboratories all over the world.
• Catering to the demands of laboratory scientists,
  the best possible containers are made available
  that serve their purpose.
• While glass was the first preference due to its
  significant properties like transparency, lesser
  reactivity with reagents and economic costs, the
  lab industry is now switching to more of plastic.
  
• Lets know more about plastic and glass and their
  comparative use in laboratories.

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Glass Has its Own Benefits

• Formerly, glass dominated the domain. Right
  from Petri-dishes to dispensers and containers,
  everything was in the glass.
• It has been so popular due to its property of
  reusability. Scientists can wash, sterilise and
  re-use their glass equipment which saves them
  from the effort and cost of buying it repeatedly.
• Another benefit that still makes glass necessary
  in some lab experiments is that it is a safer
  option than plastic when it comes to reactivity
  with certain materials.
• For instance, some solvents can dissolve plastic
  or some gases are permeable to plastic or can
  even undergo a pH change. In such cases, glass is
  preferred. Moreover, new-age glassware is being
  manufactured for specialty labs too.

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Why is Plastic Usage More Common Now?

• With recent advances, plastic has gradually
  replaced glass in labs and is now more commonly
  the preferred material in lab equipment.
• Plastic labware now contains new types of
  non-cytotoxic resins. Thus, it does not interact
  with organic life forms.
• This is important as a pharmaceutical as well
  microbiology labs do not want microorganism
  interaction of cultures with container materials.
• Another advantage of plastic is that it has a
  leachable and extractable profile. Thus it does
  not affect samples.
• The resilience of plastics is higher which means
  that they are more shock-absorbent, a property
  which protects plastic container when they are
  accidentally bumped or dropped.

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Selection Criteria to Consider

• Labs should look for essential features before
  purchasing science laboratory equipment.
• Containers that come with a leak proof
  guarantee are safer if you want to avoid leakage
  of bottles stored in refrigerators or freezers.
• Standard bottles come with certified closure
  seals and have undergone leak testing during
  manufacturing.
• Avoid corrosive cap liners and look for a strong
  thread design and a valve seal. Chemists and lab
  managers should take an informed decision
  regarding the type of material to be chosen as
  plastics come in different grades and qualities.
• Resins that contain minimal additives and are
  minimally leachable should be selected.
  Recyclability is another factor to consider.

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