Reagent Bottle Classification

发布时间：2021-11-12

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　　Glass, plastic; glass stoppers, rubber stoppers; wide-necked, narrow-necked; brown, transparent; ground-glass, non-ground-glass—among many other classification methods.

　　Hydrofluoric acid should be stored in plastic bottles, while other reagents are typically kept in glass bottles.

　　Alkaline substances such as sodium hydroxide and water glass should be stored with rubber stoppers; glass stoppers are not recommended. Organic solvents like benzene, toluene, and diethyl ether should be stored with glass stoppers; rubber stoppers are not advisable.

　　Wide-mouth bottles are used for storing solid reagents, while narrow-mouth bottles are used for liquid reagents. Liquid bromine is stored in a narrow-mouth bottle, with water added to the surface of the liquid to create a “water seal,” and the bottle opening is sealed with wax. Small quantities of white phosphorus should be kept submerged in water.

　　Reagents that readily decompose or deteriorate upon exposure to light are typically stored in brown bottles, such as nitric acid, silver nitrate, and chlorine water. They should be kept in a cool, dark place. Other reagents are generally stored in colorless bottles.

　　Ground-glass stoppered bottles (with a ground‑glass finish on the interior of the neck) ensure an airtight seal, preventing reagents from absorbing moisture and maintaining their concentration. Bottles equipped with a ground‑glass dropper at the mouth are called dropper bottles. Reagents that degrade upon exposure to carbon dioxide or water vapor should be stored in tightly sealed containers (e.g., NaOH, limewater, bleaching powder, sodium silicate, Na2O2, etc.). Concentrated hydrochloric acid, ammonia solution, iodine, and low‑boiling organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, and diethyl ether should all be kept in sealed bottles fitted with plastic caps and stored in a cool, dark place.

　　Among reagents that are easily oxidized and thus prone to degradation, highly reactive metals such as potassium, sodium, and calcium are stored in kerosene; potassium iodide, ferrous sulfide, sodium sulfate, and similar compounds are typically kept as solids rather than in solution; when using ferrous sulfate or ferrous oxide solutions, a small amount of iron powder or iron nails is added.

　　The vast majority of laboratories worldwide use reagent bottles manufactured by German companies, as their caps are made of blue plastic; these are therefore also known as blue-cap reagent bottles.