A tube is one of the most common laboratory equipment. Lab tubes are normally found in science labs in their special-purpose racks. Labs use them to store conduct and materials to be used for experiment and research purposes. Tubes are also used for heating, cooling mixing chemicals. There are several types of laboratory tubes used for specific purposes.

Boiling Tube

  

It's a thick cylindrical used for boiling chemicals. The boiling tube is thicker and about 50% bigger in size compared to a standard tube. It is composed of borosilicate glass which is strong against thermal shocks. This tube material wouldn't break or melt even when exposed to extreme heat. Its resistance power allows it to be immersed in a Bunsen burner flame. Boiling tubes are also wider than test tubes so any substance can violently boil inside it; otherwise, the liquid can explode out as the bubbles of gas has no room.

Centrifuge Tube

These tubes are used in lab centrifuges that are used to separate solids and liquid chemicals. This machine spins the sample to achieve this goal. Centrifuge tubes look like miniature test tubes that have tapered tips. These can be made of the glass and plastic. It has different taper designs that depend on the type of solids you need to separate in the chemical solution. Centrifuge tubes are set inside the centrifuge machine and then it is spun for a specific amount of time at a specific velocity. Lab technician or scientist takes the tube out after the process is complete and pours the separated liquid into a container.You can follow this link to learn more about Centrifuge Tube at GenFollower.

NMR Tube

NMR stands for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. These tubes are used to contain NMR spectroscopy which is a type of imaging on molecules in a solid-state. NMR tubes have very thin glass walls with a diameter of 3mm, 5mm, and 10mm and length of seven to eight inches. To ensure that it spins at a regular rate, the tube has to be uniformly thick. Like boiling tubes, NMR tubes are also made of borosilicate glass, but quartz NMR are also available. It also has a variety of closures including screwcap, polyethylene, and J. young valves. Polyethylene is the most common cap in NMR tubes; however, it can also be sealed with flame, a rubber septum, or Teflon tape. After a process is done, solids are taken out using a plug of celite.

Test Tube

Test tube is mostly used just to contain a liquid substance. It's the most common type of all tubes with thin walls and cylindrical shape. They are usually about the same size and shape as a finger. Scientists also mix and heat chemicals in test tubes for experiments. Its bottom is rounded so it can't stand on its own. A test tube stand is usually used to hold them straight. Test tubes are most commonly made with glass, but it's also made of metal, plastic, and ceramic. You will find these tubes in chemical, bioscience, and clinical medicine labs. Some people also use it to grow microorganisms.

Thiele Tube

 

(Photo : Iain George from Calgary, Canada) 

These tubes are similar tothe triangular shapeand look like a normal tube with attached handle. Thiele tubes are used to contain and heat oil bath. It was named after its inventor Johannes Thiele who was a German scientist. Itisusually used to determine the melting point of chemical or other substance. Its handle is heated after pouring oil into the tube. The side handle is designed in a way to generate convection current and equally transfer heat in all of the oil. Usually, the heating job is done by a micro burner, and the hot thermometer is held with a rubber band.

Thistle Tube

It consists of a shaft tube attached with a reservoir and funnel at the top. It is commonly used to add liquid in another apparatus. It allows you to add only a required amount of liquid at a specific position.You will also find thistle tubes with taps attached to them. Its thin tube is designed to be insertedin small holesof a container like Erlenmeyer.