Shell Vials: Uses, Types and Selection Guide

🫙 Introduction

Shell vials are commonly used in laboratories as sample containers, usually made of glass or plastic with a cylindrical body and thin wall construction. These vials are compact in design, generally have a small volume, and are often used with a capping system to ensure the sealing and stability of the sample.Shell Vials are typically used for short- or medium-term sample preservation, as well as for analytical processes that require high-throughput operations.

With the continuous development of analytical techniques, shell vials are widely used in gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and other analytical techniques. These vials are not only suitable for sample autosampling systems, but are also widely used in drug discovery, environmental analysis, food testing, and other fields due to their small size, low cost, and ease of operation. In addition, shell vials are often used for extraction, concentration, or staging during sample preparation, making them versatile and flexible, making them one of the most common consumables in the laboratory.

🫙 Main Uses of Shell Vials

shell vials play an important role in modern laboratories due to their excellent performance and standardized design. The following are their main areas of application:

1. Gas chromatography

Shell vials have irreplaceable advantages in GC analysis:

• • Volatile sample handling: Designed for volatile organic compounds, it prevents sample evaporation.
  • High-temperature adaptability: can withstand the high-temperature environment of the GC inlet (usually up to 300℃ or more).
  • Autosampling compatibility: Standardized size perfectly matches mainstream autosamplers for unattended continuous analysis.
  • Sealing performance: specially designed spacer and cap ensure that the sample will not leak or be contaminated during analysis.

Typical applications include environmental pollutant detection, solvent residue analysis, and flavor and fragrance composition analysis.

2. Liquid chromatography applications

The choice of shell vials is especially critical in liquid chromatography systems:

• • Chemical compatibility: the choice of material is based on the nature of the mobile phase (e.g. resistance to strong acids and bases).
  • Sampling accuracy: specially designed vials reduce dead volume and improve sampling accuracy.
  • Anti-Contamination Design: Some models are equipped with pre-cut spacers to avoid contamination of the chromatography system by particles.
  • Microanalysis: Ultra-low adsorption surface treatment to minimize sample loss

Especially suitable for drug analysis, biomolecule research, food safety testing and other fields.

3. Sample storage and transportation

Shell vials are ideal for long-term sample storage:

• • Long-term stability: the inert glass material ensures that samples will not deteriorate for months or even years.
  • Sealing system: Multiple seals (e.g. PTFE/silicone composite gaskets) protect samples from evaporation and external contamination.
  • Temperature adaptability: withstands temperatures ranging from -80°C ultra-low freezing to autoclaving.
  • Transportation Safety: Shockproof design with special packaging ensures no breakage or leakage during transportation.

Widely used in biological sample bank, clinical test sample preservation, precious reagent storage and other scenarios.

4. Other important applications

• • Mass spectrometry: as a sample carrier for GC-MS and LC-MS, special attention should be paid to cleanliness and low background characteristics.
  • Drug discovery: for compound storage and distribution in high-throughput screening.
  • Environmental monitoring: collection and analysis of environmental samples such as atmosphere and water quality.
  • Forensic identification: safe storage and transportation of trace evidence
  • Food testing: sample pre-treatment for pesticide residues, additives and other analytical items

Each application scenario places specific performance requirements on shell vials, and understanding these differences is key to selecting the right sample vial.

🫙 Common Types of Shell Vials

1. Classification by material

The material of Shell vials has a direct impact on their chemical compatibility, thermal stability and application scenarios, common materials include:

• • Glass shell vials (borosilicate glass): these vials have good high temperature resistance and chemical inertness, and can withstand the erosion of strong acids, strong bases and most organic solvents, and are the most commonly used type in gas chromatography, liquid chromatography and other precision analysis. Its high transparency makes it easy to observe the state of the sample, especially suitable for experiments with high requirements on sample purity and background interference.
  • Plastic shell vials (e.g. polypropylene PP, polyethylene PE): Compared with glass, plastic vials are lighter and less fragile, and are suitable for single-use or for storing non-volatile samples that are not sensitive to light or heat. They are less costly and suitable for routine sample preparation, high-volume screening, and educational laboratory use.

2. Classification by capacity

Shell vials offer a variety of capacity specifications to suit different experimental needs:

• • Standard Volume: The common sizes are 1.5ml, 2ml and 4ml, which are suitable for most chromatographic analysis and routine sample processing scenarios.
  • Micro vials: vials with a capacity of 0.3ml, 0.5ml, suitable for analysis with limited sample volume and high sensitivity detection, such as metabolite screening, trace residue detection, etc.

3. Classified by sealing method

Shell vials are available in a variety of sealing styles, which can be selected according to experimental practices and equipment requirements:

• • Threaded cap: closed by rotating, easy to operate, suitable for manual feeding or multiple opening and closing of the experiment. Some threaded vials are equipped with embedded gaskets to enhance the sealing effect.
  • Clamp caps: Usually used in combination with aluminum caps and rubber/polymer gaskets, they provide excellent sealing and are suitable for GC and other experimental scenarios where sealing is critical.
  • Bayonet caps: provide quick opening and closing and are suitable for high throughput laboratory automation, but have a relatively weak seal and are recommended for short-term storage or sample handling under ambient conditions.

4. Special types

A variety of special types have been developed for shell vials to meet specific experimental needs:

• • Amber colored shell vials: By adding a light-blocking coating, light-sensitive samples are effectively protected from degradation reactions due to light exposure.
  • Pre-sterilized shell vials: Pre-treated by irradiation or autoclaving, they are suitable for the storage of biological samples (e.g. serum, tissue extracts) to reduce the risk of microbial contamination, and are commonly used in clinical and biopharmaceutical fields.

🫙 How to Choose the Right Shell Vials?

In actual experiments, choosing appropriate shell vials can significantly improve the accuracy of analysis results and experimental efficiency. Below are a few key considerations for experimentalists to take into account when selecting shell vials:

1. Select the material according to the experimental needs

Different experimental conditions require different physical and chemical properties of the sample:

• • High-temperature experiments: such as gas chromatography sample bottles should be used to withstand high temperatures, the recommended use of borosilicate glass, with excellent thermal stability.
  • Non-volatile samples: such as buffer or common organic substances can be used in plastic bottles, low cost, easy to operate, suitable for high-throughput or one-time experiments.
  • Strong acid/alkali environments: It is recommended to use sample bottles with corrosion-resistant liners to prevent sample contamination or bottle damage caused by corrosion.

2. Consideration of sample volume

Selecting the bottle volume according to the required analytical volume helps to control the sample concentration and optimize the cost:

• • Micro-analysis: such as metabolite studies or pharmacokinetic experiments, with small sample volume, 0.3ml-0.5ml micro-shell vias should be selected to avoid sample waste.
  • Routine analysis: For most chromatographic or biochemical analyses, a standard volume of 1.5ml-2ml is sufficient to meet the experimental needs, and is compatible with most of the sampling equipment.

3. Sealing requirements

The sealing performance requirements vary considerably from one type of experiment to another:

• • GC analysis: If the sample contains volatile substances, a jaw cap with spacer and aluminum cap is required to ensure excellent sealing and prevent sample loss.
  • Long-term storage: The combination of a threaded cap with a PTFE/silicone composite gasket is recommended for long-term storage of samples with good airtightness and solvent resistance.

4. Automation compatibility

Laboratories are becoming more and more automated and the size and shape of the vials need to be compatible with the equipment:

• • Autosampling bottle compatibility: choosing shell vials that meet international standard specifications ensures smooth sample loading and avoids equipment failure or analysis interruption.

5. Cost and reusability

Choose the appropriate vial type for the frequency of testing and budget:

• • Single-use experiments or high-throughput screening: Plastic vials can be used economically, reducing the risk of washing and cross-contamination.
  • Long-term use or high-precision analysis: Good quality glass vials are recommended, especially for repeated use or precision experiments requiring low background interference.

🫙 Recommendations for Use and Maintenance

Proper usage and routine maintenance team report the sealing, cleanliness, and accurate nature of analysis of this shell vials is critical. The following are some practical suggestions for operation:

1. Correct sealing method

Sample bottles with different sealing methods have their own techniques for use, and reasonable operation can avoid damage to the sample building or bottle.

Capping tips for clamp-nose cap: When using special clamp-nose tool for capping operation, it should be ensured that the cap is centered and the pressure is even to avoid deformation of the bottle mouth or sealing failure due to improper capping. It is recommended to use a clamp cap tool with a strength adjustment function to ensure that the sealing effect is consistent for each capping.

Torque control of threaded cap: Tighten the threaded cap moderately, too tight may damage the gasket or lead to cracks in the bottle mouth, Guo loosening will result in poor sealing. Some laboratories can be equipped with a torque control tool or set a standard hand tightening strength, especially for long term storage of samples.

2. Cleaning and reuse

For high-quality glass shell vials, a proper cleaning process allows for multiple uses, saving costs and reducing laboratory waste.

Cleaning Procedure

• • The vials are first cleaned initially with an appropriate solvent to remove residual sample.
  • The bottles are then processed using an ultrasonic cleaner for 15-30 minutes to completely remove impurities and particles from the bottle.
  • After cleaning, rinse with distilled water and store dry in a 60-80°C oven.

Measures to avoid cross-contamination: The same batch of sample bottles should not be cross-used for different types or different experimental projects. Labels, color labels, etc. can be used to manage, while avoiding multiple high-temperature treatment caused by material aging.

3. Storage conditions

Protected from light and dry environment: It is recommended to store the vials in a sealed bag or dry box to avoid dust, moisture or corrosive gases. For light sensitive samples, amber bottle ice should be used for storage away from light.

Precautions in extreme temperatures: Avoid exposing bottles to sudden cold or heat, especially those made of glass, to prevent bursting due to thermal expansion and contraction. Bottles stored at -20°C or lower should be naturally rewarmed after removal before opening to avoid condensation mixing with the sample.

🫙 Frequently Asked Questions

🫙 Conclusion

Shell vials, as an important consumable in laboratory analysis and sample processing, have a direct impact on the accuracy of results and operational efficiency due to factors such as material, capacity, sealing method and compatibility. The selection of shell vials should be based on the type of experiment, sample characteristics, automation equipment and budget.

In addition, good usage habits are essential for sample stability and data reproducibility. Experimenters should pay attention to details to avoid incompatible vial materials, insufficient sealing or cross-contamination that may affect the analytical conclusions.

Last Updated: 2025/04/30

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