Understanding the use of centrifuge tubes

The advantage of the plastic centrifuge tube is transparent or translucent. Its hardness is small, can be used to remove samples by the puncture method. The disadvantages are that they are easily deformed, poorly resistant to organic solvents, and short service life. There are usually two types of centrifuge tubes: conical and round bottom. Plastic centrifuge tubes have caps, which must be tightly covered before centrifugation and will not leak when inverted. The cap serves three purposes: to avoid leakage of the sample. It is used for the storage of radioactive or corrosive samples to circumvent sample evaporation. To support the centrifuge tube and prevent its deformation. The centripetal force should not be too great when using glass tubes, and rubber pads are needed to avoid tube breakage. High-speed centrifuges generally do not use glass tubes.

When reading, be sure to observe the bent liquid level correctly. Otherwise, it will cause a certain amount of error. When using centrifuge tubes, the number of centrifuges is to be decided according to the model, if the centrifuge with a double casing to do a single test must be filled with the same volume of liquid in the other centrifuge tube to maintain balance. The centrifuge tube should not be too long. Otherwise, it is easy to break when turning. But it should not be too short. Too short tube in the air rotation is not stable and easy to break. The centrifuge tube is too thick to set in, too fine rotation is unstable, the round mouth should be larger than the inner diameter of the casing. Centrifugal tube set into the casing of the centrifuge for layering, separation after stopping the rotation to let it stop naturally, and never use external force to force stop. When we use the centrifuge tube, do not use a tube multiple times, pay attention to sample volatilization and some radioactive or corrosive sample leakage; in the storage process, it is necessary to seal well, to prevent deformation of the centrifuge tube in the process of use. Plastic centrifuge tubes are mostly disposable laboratory consumables, the experimental results will be more accurate.

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