Reagent Bottles: Uses, Design Essentials, and Safe Usage Guidelines

 

As an indispensable storage tool in laboratory and industrial settings, the design and application of reagent bottles are directly related to the safety and effectiveness of reagents. This article will comprehensively analyze the core uses, design features, and usage specifications of reagent bottles to help users make better choices and operate them more effectively.

 

I. Classification and Core Uses of Reagent Bottles

Reagent bottles can be classified into glass bottles and plastic bottles according to their materials, and into wide - mouth bottles and narrow - mouth bottles according to their bottle - mouth designs. Wide - mouth bottles are suitable for storing solid reagents (such as powders and crystals), while narrow - mouth bottles are dedicated to the sealed storage of liquid reagents. In addition, they can be divided into transparent bottles and brown bottles according to their light - transmission properties. The latter are used to store reagents that need to be protected from light, such as nitric acid and silver nitrate.

 

In application scenarios, reagent bottles cover multiple fields:

1. Chemical laboratories: Store chemical reagents, accurately dispense liquids or solids. Brown bottles prevent the deterioration of photosensitive substances.

2. Medical and pharmaceutical industries: Store vaccines, biological samples, and drugs. The highly transparent material facilitates the observation of the state, and the sealing design prevents contamination.

3. Agricultural production: Corrosion - resistant plastic bottles are used for the long - term storage of pesticides and fertilizers. For example, polyethylene material can resist acid - base erosion.

4. High - end technology fields: For instance, PFA (polytetrafluoroethylene) reagent bottles are used in the semiconductor industry. They can withstand high temperatures and highly corrosive reagents, ensuring the stability of high - purity chemicals.

 

II. Design Features and Material Selection

1. Bottle - mouth and Sealing Design

 - Wide - mouth bottles: They have a large diameter, which facilitates the pouring and dispensing of solid reagents. Some bottle mouths have a frosted design, and are paired with glass stoppers or rubber stoppers to enhance the sealing performance and prevent the reagents from absorbing moisture (e.g., NaOH requires a rubber stopper to avoid adhesion to the glass).

 - Narrow - mouth bottles: The small diameter reduces the volatilization of liquids. They are often used for storing volatile reagents such as bromine. Some require a "water seal" treatment (adding a water layer on the liquid surface and sealing it with wax).

 

2. Material Properties

 - Glass: It is heat - resistant and chemically corrosion - resistant (except for hydrofluoric acid), and is suitable for most reagents, but it is fragile.

 - Plastic: It is lightweight and shatter - resistant. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are commonly used for regular reagents. PFA material is the preferred choice for high - end experiments because of its resistance to strong acids and high temperatures (-200°C~260°C).

 

3. Color Selection

 - Transparent bottles: They are used for regular storage, facilitating the observation of the state of the reagents.

 - Brown bottles: They block ultraviolet rays and protect the chemical stability of photosensitive reagents (such as chlorine water and hydrogen peroxide).

 

III. Safe Usage Specifications and Precautions

1. Storage and Sealing

 - Strongly alkaline substances (such as water glass) should use rubber stoppers instead of glass stoppers to avoid adhesion at the bottle mouth.

 - Easily oxidized reagents (such as sodium and potassium) should be stored in kerosene; white phosphorus should be placed in water to isolate it from air.

 - Volatile reagents (such as benzene and ether) require multi - layer sealing and should be stored in a cool place.

 

2. Operational Taboos

 - No heating: Reagent bottles are not heat - resistant. When heating is required, transfer the reagents to a special container.

 - Standardized dispensing: When dispensing liquids, place the bottle stopper upside down to avoid contamination; seal the bottle immediately after use, and add a cover to prevent volatilization if necessary.

 - Label protection: Keep the label clear and complete to prevent confusion about the types of reagents.

 

3. Treatment of Special Reagents

 - Extra sealing measures are required for bromine and concentrated hydrochloric acid; reagents that easily absorb moisture (such as bleaching powder) should be stored in a dry environment.

 

IV. Purchase Suggestions and Application Matching

1. Material matching: Choose glass or plastic bottles according to the properties of the reagents. For example, hydrofluoric acid must be stored in a plastic bottle.

2. Specification adaptation: Select different capacities from 10ml to 1000ml according to experimental needs. Wide - mouth bottles are suitable for solids, and narrow - mouth bottles reduce liquid volatilization.

3. Sealing performance: Ground - glass bottles are suitable for long - term storage of reagents; dropping bottles are convenient for dispensing small amounts of liquids.