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Is your data at risk due to the reactivity of your auto-sampler vials?
Not all vials are created equal!
The sample handling process is one of the most expensive in a separations lab and the final container you entrust before analysis is critical. In this final container, you do not want or expect to find changes to your samples, diluent s or other analytes due to vials or caps especially in chromatography Below we show how you can benefit from adopting next generation Auto-sampler vials technology?
Introduction
The Auto-sampler vials technology has not advanced with the same speed as the hyphenated MS technologies (LC-MS, GC-MS). Glass vials have chemicals absorbing surfaces and Polymer based vials release contaminants that interfere with the analysis. Our partner Microsolv Technologies Inc.. has continuously advanced Auto-sampler vial technology and developed the very first RSA (Reduced Surface Activity) glass vials that enable chemist to improve accuracy of their analytical data
Problem Statement
Auto-sampler vials are manufactured by three different materials with the following properties:
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Chemical Name
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Glass
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Polymethylpentane (PMP)
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Polypropylene (PP)
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Brand Name(s)
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many
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TPX
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Manufacturers
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many
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Some
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some
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Caps
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Wide range
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Wide range
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Wide range
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Optical Properties
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Transparent
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Transparent
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Translucent
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Manufacturing Process
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The flame driven vial moulding process creates an variable amount of active silanol groups on the vial surface. Some Borosilicate Glasses carry metal contamination with catalytic and affinity properties
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Plastics carry some times UV – stabilizer and the moulding process is accelerated by the use of mould releasing agents.
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Plastics carry some times UV – stabilizer and the moulding process is accelerated by the use of mould releasing agents.
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Analytical laboratories today exist in a very demanding business climate with company mergers, increased regulatory requirements and globalization issues. Under these conditions management is under pressure to lower the cost of data, yet still produce high quality, accurate data at a much reduced cost per analysis. The largest cost component in analysis is labour cost. Thus it is important not to put your data at risk and to make sure that all measurements are done correctly and don’t have to repeated.
Some glass vials are not produced with the very best raw materials available and sold to the market cheaply. Their physical and surface chemical properties vary.
Vials produced by reliable quality product manufacturers such as Microsolv Technologies are manufactured in highly automated clean rooms, quality tested according to DIN/ISO standards and made from SCHOTT® brand glass tubing, of first hydrolytic class. First hydrolytic class glass is very hard and has a low expansion coefficient, even when large variations in manufacturing temperatures are observed. It has an excellent chemical resistance to acidic, neutral and relatively low alkaline solutions. Unfortunately all glass vials, including the very best quality type I borosilicate glass carry Silanol groups and Na2O on its surface. The Silanol groups lead to H-bonding interaction and affinity to certain compounds. The residual sodium ions can be dissociated from the glass surface by hydrolysis with aqueous solutions resulting negatively charged sites on the silica surface that behave as cation exchange sites for protonated basic compounds.
The intensity of the ion exchange effect depends primarily on the amount of sodium available on the surface including the surface area in contact with the sample solution. Although the vial surface is small an adsorption concentrations is in ng/ml and detectable by highly sensitive MS techniques.
Polymers such as Polypropylene and TPX that are used in the molding of Auto-sampler vials have limited UV stabilities and are thus protected by addition of UV stabilizers. These compounds migrate to the surface and depending on solvent composition leach into the analyte. They can be detected by sensitive MS techniques.
To produce polymer based vials at high production rate vial producers use mould release agents that may migrate into the analyte and adulterate your data output.
The Microsolv Solution
As high quality vials manufacturer our partner Microsolv Technologies has continuously developed their vial production to satisfy the growing quality standard required by hyphenated MS techniques.
In the meantime Microsolv Technologies have come up with a method to produce Polypropylene and TPX vials without the use of mould release agents. Furthermore the employ virgin Polymers that are free of UV stabilizers..
Microsolv’s very latest development is a revolutionary and patented glass vials moulding process that results in reduced surface activity (RSA) glass. RSA glass is used in their AQ (Advanced Quality) Auto-sampler vials, inserts and caps for Quality Control or Research Laboratories that work with demanding requirement for accurate and precise results. These vials and caps are very high quality glass with perfect fit and form assurance so that they will perform properly and not adulterate your data.
AQ vials are made in near clean room facilities and are not touched by human hands, then packed in special shrink wrap containers for no particulate or extractable contamination that can occur in some leading competitive brands
AQ vials have a silanol free surface that does not adsorb bases, hydrolyse sensitive samples, deactivation process or change the pH of your diluent s while it sits in your vials over night, is manufactured without any coating or deactivation processes. If sample are hydrophobic and stick to almost anything, RSA glass vials offer the very best deactivated glass possible with near 100% deactivation.
Who should use AQTM brand vials, inserts and caps?
Anyone who is working with very high requirements for accuracy concentration and purity in LC and GC or working with biologic, natural products, LC-MS, GC-MS or Ion Chromatography!
Just compare the test data
Methodology Synopsis & Analysis: a test solution was placed in 3 sets of vials named (N1, N2 & N3) from each of the brands listed. The starting concentration of the test compounds was 5ug/ml. After standing in the vials for four hours, the final concentration of the analyte, as determined by HPLC, is reported for each group. The percent loss was calculated and is reported (% Loss) as well. The difference in the results between RSA™ glass vials and the others is
one indication of the benefits of using RSA™ glass.
Summary
RSA TM based vials, inserts and AQR TM caps offer the following features:
- Excellent cost/value.
- Product Specification that exceeds demanding laboratory requirements and have virtually no impact on sensitive samples for best RSD possible.
- Vials that are produced using computerized cameras as they are tooled to assure perfect fit and form in a near clean room environment and not touched by human hands.
- Caps that do not extract under LC-MS or GC-MS conditions and do not leak or jam your autosampler.
- Highest quality inserts available for limited volume applications in both economical and precision mandrel point RSA glass
- Available in “Easy Purchase Packs”; one catalogue number for matching vials and caps in one package.
Please ask for quotation and specify your needs! cklick here
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RSA Vials
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VIALS – AQ™ BRAND 100/PACK
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Article No
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2ml vials, clear 9mm screw top w/ write on patch.
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9509S-WCV-RS
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2ml vials, amber 9mm screw top w/ write on patch.
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9509S-WAV-RS
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1.5ml vials, clear, Max Recovery center draining snap top.
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9512C-0CV-RS
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1.5ml vials, clear, Max Recovery center draining 9mm screw tops.
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9512S-0CV-RS
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1.2ml, MRQ™ vials, clear, snap tops.
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9512C-0CV-T-RS
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1.2ml, MRQ™ vials 9mm, clear, screw tops.
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9512S-0CV-T-RS
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Vials w/ 300ul fused insert, clear, snap tops.
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9532C-0CV-RS
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Vials w/ 300ul fused insert, clear, 9mm screw tops.
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9532S-0CV-RS
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INSERTS – AQ™ BRAND 100/PACK
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Inserts, 6x29mm, 200ul, w/attached plastic springs.
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9502S-02N-RS
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SCREW CAPS – AQ™ BRAND
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Caps, light blue w/ fitted ultra pure silicone/PTFE septa. 100/pack
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9509S-10C-B
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Caps, light blue w/ fitted ultra pure silicone/PTFE septa. 1000/case
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9509S-10C-B-M
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Caps, light blue w/ preslit fitted ultra pure silicone/PTFE septa. 100/pack
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9509S-30C-B
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Caps, light blue w/ preslit fitted ultra pure silicone/PTFE septa. 1000/case
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9509S-30C-B-M
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SNAP CAPS – MICROSOLV BRAND
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Caps, blue w/ silicone/PTFE septa. 100/pack.
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9502C-10CB
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Caps, blue w/ silicone/PTFE septa. 1000/case.
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9502C-10CB-M
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Caps, blue w/ preslit silicone/PTFE septa. 100/pack.
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9502C-30CB
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Caps, blue w/ preslit silicone/PTFE septa. 1000/case.
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9502C-30CB-M
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EASY PURCHASE PACKS – AQ™ BRAND 100/PACK
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2ml amber write on vials and light blue AQR screw caps w/ silicone/PTFE septa.
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9509S-1WAP-RS
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2ml clear write on vials and light blue AQR screw caps w/ silicone/PTFE septa.
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9509S-1WCP-RS
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2ml amber write on vials and light blue AQR screw caps w/ preslit silicone/PTFE septa.
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9509S-3WAP-RS
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2ml clear write on vials and light blue AQR screw caps w/ preslit silicone/PTFE septa.
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9509S-3WCP-RS
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1.2ml clear MRQ™ vials and blue snap caps w/ silicone/PTFE septa.
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9512C-1MP-RS
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1.2ml clear MRQ™ vials and blue snap caps w/ preslit silicone/PTFE septa.
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9512C-3MP-RS
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300ul fused insert vials and light blue AQR screw caps w/ silicone/PTFE septa.
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9532S-1CP-RS
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300ul fused insert vials and light blue AQR screw caps w/ preslit silicone/PTFE septa.
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9532S-3CP-RS
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1.5ml Max Recovery Vials, clear and light blue AQR screw caps w/ silicone/PTFE septa.
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9512S-1CP-RS
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1.5ml Max Recovery Vials, clear and light blue AQR screw caps w/ preslit silicone/PTFE septa.
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9512S-3CP-RS
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1.2ml MRQ™ Vials, clear and light blue AQR screw caps w/ silicone/PTFE septa.
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9512S-1MP-RS
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1.2ml MRQ™ Vials, clear and light blue AQR screw caps w/ preslit silicone/PTFE septa.
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9512S-3MP-RS
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