Laboratory Plastic Bottles

HDPE is the most chemically resistant common plastic and is suitable for strong acids, bases, and solvents for storage applications. LDPE is softer and squeezable, making it ideal for wash bottles. Polypropylene is autoclavable and is the best choice where sterilisation is required. Always check a chemical compatibility chart before use.

Screw caps with gaskets are best for long-term storage and transport. Dropper caps suit indicator and reagent dispensing. Aspirator bottles have outlet taps for gravity dispensing of bulk liquids. Spray or trigger caps suit bench-top rinsing applications.

Small dropper bottles of 5 ml to 30 ml suit indicators and stains. Wash bottles of 250 ml to 500 ml cover most bench-rinsing needs. Reagent storage bottles of 500 ml to 2 500 ml hold working stock solutions. Aspirator bottles of 2 500 ml to 5 000 ml supply bulk distilled water or rinse solvent.

Amber or opaque HDPE bottles block UV light and are required for storing light-sensitive solutions such as silver nitrate, iodine solutions, and certain biological stains. Clear bottles are convenient for visual monitoring of reagent level but should not be used for photosensitive chemicals.

HDPE (high-density polyethylene) is the preferred plastic for storing most strong acids including hydrochloric, sulphuric, and phosphoric acid at room temperature. It has excellent chemical resistance and does not leach contaminants. Polypropylene is a good alternative and is also autoclavable. Avoid PET and polycarbonate containers for strong acid storage as they may degrade over time.

Polypropylene bottles can be autoclaved at 121 degrees Celsius and are the correct choice where sterilisation is required. HDPE and LDPE bottles should not be autoclaved as they will deform. Always remove the cap before autoclaving to prevent pressure build-up, and allow the bottle to cool before recapping.

An aspirator bottle is a large plastic bottle with an outlet tap near the base, used to dispense bulk liquids by gravity. In the laboratory it is commonly used to supply distilled water to a bench, drain waste into a collection vessel, or store and dispense large volumes of buffer or rinse solution without lifting a heavy container.

Rinse the bottle three times with tap water, then three times with distilled water. For biological contamination, wash with a 1% bleach solution and rinse thoroughly. For chemical residues, rinse with a compatible solvent before washing with water and laboratory detergent. Air-dry inverted or autoclave if sterility is required. Never use abrasive brushes that can scratch the interior.

HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene) are both excellent choices for laboratory bottles but have different strengths. HDPE has slightly better chemical resistance to acids and is more flexible. PP can be autoclaved and has better resistance to higher temperatures. PP bottles are also slightly stiffer. The best choice depends on whether autoclavability or chemical resistance is the higher priority.