Different Types of Laboratory Glassware

There are several types of laboratory glassware available and each one has its unique functionality. Some of the glasswares are used to hold and save chemicals while other glasswares are designed for volumetric measuring, processing or preparing solutions, and a plethora of other purposes. The most ordinarily used glass in labs are borosilicate glass and quartz glass that can endure the stress of heating. Although there are some chances that damage unfortunately occurs where quartz repairs approach is helpful.

No matter what material is used to make laboratory glassware, the names of the several glassware types endure consistently and are based on appearance, quantity, and intended use. The following different types of laboratory glassware. Take a look:

• Flasks- Laboratory flasks are defined by their appearance with a larger base and fine open neck. Flasks are used for a variety of purposes from collecting liquids to boiling mixtures. They range in different sizes and shapes, some having two napes. Moreover, they are provided in both plastic and glass. Some of the common flasks are named as Erlenmeyer flasks, Buchner flasks, volumetric flasks, Florence, or round-bottom flasks, retort flasks, etc. 

• Beakers- Glass beakers are multi-purpose laboratory vessels designed for mixing and heating liquids. They contain a round shape with a lip spout intended for pouring. They are flat-bottomed in shape and available in various sizes from 1mm to 10 liters. However, you can find some commonly used beakers made of borosilicate glass, fused silica beakers, plastic, and stainless steel beakers.

• Bottles- Laboratory bottles are intended to contain liquids for storage. They come in an extensive variety of metals, sizes, and forms. Some are designed with a flaring mouth to hold a glass stopper and others include screw-on plastic caps. Bottles are available in clear glass or brown glass for light-sensitive liquids. They can be jar-shaped with a broad aperture, jug-shaped with a little thumb loop for safe holding or may have a rectangular base.

• Funnels- Funnels are modified cones with a high straight nape. They can be used for spill-free pouring from one vessel to another. They usually do not require to be heat resistant. 

•  Burettes- They are very long finished tube-shaped items of glassware used for precise measuring of liquids. Glass burettes are loaded from the top and clear of the bottom. 

• Test Tubes- These are round-bottomed, cylindrical glassware extensively used in laboratories to hold or process small quantities of material. Test tubes are often used to practice organisms in biology, and special racks hold these around horizontally for the best growing medium surface.