Laboratory glassware

Laboratory glassware refers to a variety of equipment, traditionally made of glass, used for scientific experiments in chemistry and biology. Some of the equipment is now made of plastic for cost and convenience reasons, but glass is still used for some applications because it is relatively inert, transparent, and relatively easy to customize. Borosilicate glasses such as Pyrex are often used because they are less subject to thermal stress. For some applications quartz is used for its ability to withstand high temperatures or its transparency in certain parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Special-purpose materials are also used; for example, hydrofluoric acid is stored and used in containers made of wax or polymer because it attacks glass.

Related Topics:
Glass - Scientific experiment - Chemistry - Biology - Plastic - Inert - Borosilicate glass - Pyrex - Thermal stress - Quartz - Electromagnetic spectrum - Hydrofluoric acid - Wax - Polymer

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Most laboratory glassware is now mass-produced, but most large laboratories employ a glass blower to construct specialized pieces. This construction forms a specialized field of glassblowing requiring precise control of shape and volume.

Related Topics:
Mass-produced - Glass blower

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Laboratory glassware includes:

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• test tubes
• Erlenmeyer flasks
• Florence flasks
• beakers
• Petri dishes
• Watch glasses
• graduated cylinders
• pipettes
• cuvettes
• burettes
• gas syringes
• retorts
• conical measures
• bell jars