What Is A Centrifuge Tube And What Is It Used For?

　　Ningbo EKK Technology Co., Ltd. tells you that a centrifuge tube is a container filled with substances to be analyzed. They were developed to house centrifuges, a type of laboratory equipment that spins samples at high speeds to separate materials within the samples. Many laboratory processes require the help of a centrifuge, and the centrifuge tubes are designed to fit perfectly, keeping the centrifuge balanced and staying in place during spinning.

　　The main purpose of the centrifuge tube

　　Various laboratory methods require the use of centrifuges and centrifuge tubes. Environmental laboratories often use them due to the nature of the samples. The samples they obtained were generally not clean drinking water but were filled with various materials.

　　1. Soil samples

　　There are several extraction methods for soil analysis that require combining the soil with water or a solvent. Thorough binding of soil and water releases analytes of interest from the soil into the water, where they can be analyzed on the instrument. Often, mixing soil and water makes the solution cloudy, and the soil particles are too large to be analyzed effectively. Putting the sample in a centrifuge tube and spinning it will pull all the soil material to the bottom of the tube. The water can then be removed from the tube for analysis.

　　2. Processing the samples

　　Customers in industries such as the chemical or pharmaceutical industries have processes for combining water with other materials. Oil, fuel, and other contaminants may be present in the samples they send for analysis. To analyze water, the analyst must centrifuge the sample. This will result in a clear separation of water and other contaminants. Analysts can then collect the water with a straw or syringe, leaving other materials behind.

　　3. Medical Laboratory

　　Centrifuge tubes are essential for the separation of components in medical laboratories. In blood samples, they can separate organelles from cells and precipitate cells and viruses. Centrifugation is an essential part of extracting DNA or RNA from cells.

　　4. Save your instrument

　　By using a centrifuge to separate layers of material, you can extend the life of your laboratory equipment. Gas chromatographs, mass spectrometers, and high-pressure liquid chromatographs are just a few of the instruments that centrifuged samples can support. The instrument injects a small amount of sample through the column and isolates the analytes of interest, which are then identified by the instrument software.

　　If you inject additional contaminants into the instrument, you may not be able to identify any analytes in your sample. Contaminants can overshadow the analytes you're looking for so you don't see them. Sometimes the particle size of the contaminants is too large to pass through the column and can cause severe clogging and pressure fluctuations.

　　Laboratory instruments are expensive, and analysts must do everything in their power to protect them from harmful samples. Centrifuge tubes are the key to keeping your equipment healthy and thus increasing your productivity.

　　How to use centrifuge tubes

　　Using centrifuge tubes is quick and easy.

　　Start by determining the pipe size your process requires. Some centrifuges are suitable for small test tubes that can hold 15mL, while others can hold small test tubes that can hold 50mL. There are even microcentrifuge tubes for processes using volumes as small as 0.5mL. Centrifugation is important for samples of all sizes!

　　Fill the test tube with the sample and securely cap it. Select the spin speed and amount of time the sample needs to be spun to ensure separation.

　　Place the centrifuge tubes on opposite sides of the centrifuge. If you have an odd number of samples, fill the centrifuge tubes with water and insert them as needed. This will maintain centrifugal balance.

　　Make sure the centrifuge lid is securely closed and spinning. Collect the samples when complete and place them in a centrifuge tube rack for shipping.

　　The Importance of Balancing Centrifuge Tubes

　　Due to the high rotational speeds that must be withstood in the centrifuge, the centrifuge tubes are subjected to a great deal of stress. They can spin from 500 to 1500rpm! Balancing the centrifuge is the key to achieving high speeds. If the sample is not evenly distributed, the bowl may be out of balance. This can cause the centrifuge to shake unsteadily, the centrifuge tube to be ejected, or even destroy the centrifuge altogether.

　　The simple solution is to keep extra centrifuge tubes and fill them with the same volume of water to match the sample volume in the tubes. The vials all need to contain the same volume so that the weight is evenly distributed for safe and efficient rotation. Those vials with water can be reused to balance the centrifuge.