01. PP (polypropylene): High-temperature resistant "all-round defender"
1. Characteristics: Translucent to white, autoclavable at 121°C, excellent chemical stability, and acid and alkali resistance.
2. Core Applications: Centrifuge tubes, pipette tips, PCR tubes, deep-well plates, cryotubes, and screw-cap tubes.
3. Advantages: Autoclavable at 121°C, economical, and chemically inert.
4. Usage Precautions: Transparency is average, toughness decreases at low temperatures (<4°C), and brittle cracking should be avoided.
02. PS (Polystyrene): Optically transparent "viewing window"
1. Characteristics: Excellent optical transparency (up to 90%), high rigidity, but brittle, with a heat resistance limit of approximately 80°C.
2. Core Applications: Cell culture dishes/flasks, ELISA plates, serological pipettes, and radioimmunoassay tubes.
3. Outstanding Advantages: Excellent transparency facilitates microscopic observation, and the smooth surface makes it easy to clean.
4. Key Limitations: Intolerant to organic solvents (such as acetone and DMSO), and high-temperature sterilization is not feasible.
5. Purchasing Tips: PS consumables used for cell culture typically have a hydrophilic surface treatment (such as TC treatment). Be sure to verify this when purchasing.
03. PET: A tenacious "cryopreservation expert"
1. Characteristics: High transparency, outstanding impact resistance, and temperature resistance up to approximately 70°C.
2. Core Applications: Sample storage bottles and culture medium storage bottles.
3. Outstanding Advantages: Combining transparency with strength, and good low-temperature resistance (-80°C).
4. Key Limitations: Caution is required in environments with strong acids and bases.
04.PC (polycarbonate): High-strength "protective shield"
1. Characteristics: Near-glass transparency, autoclavable up to 121°C, and strong impact resistance.
2. Core Application: Large-capacity cell culture shake flasks.
3. Outstanding Advantages: Extremely high mechanical strength, resistance to repeated autoclaving, and resistance to various solvents.
4. Usage Precautions: Prone to hydrolysis in strong alkaline environments. Surface abrasion resistance is average and prone to scratching.
05. PE (Polyethylene): Flexible "Liquid Storage Expert"
1. Characteristics: Typically opaque, non-toxic and odorless, waxy feel, and excellent low-temperature resistance (-80°C to 70°C).
2. Core Applications: Reagent bottle caps, wash bottles, Pasteur pipettes, and cell culture bags.
3. Outstanding Advantages: Soft texture and excellent abrasion resistance.
4. Key Limitations: Softens easily at high temperatures and has low transparency, making it unsuitable for high-temperature applications or precision optical inspections.
