What happened if scratches appear on the cuvette?
Scratches will cause light scattering and will ultimately effect your measurements. If the cuvettes are stored wet , they may dry with sample material on the measuring surfaces, which will effect subsequent measurements. DO NOT clean your cuvettes in a ultrasonic cleaning bath.
Why a glass cuvette is required?
Historically, reusable quartz cuvettes were required for measurements in the ultraviolet range, because glass and most plastics absorb ultraviolet light, creating interference. Glass, plastic and quartz cuvettes are all suitable for measurements made at longer wavelengths, such as in the visible light range.
When should you use cuvettes?
Before use, cuvettes should be cleaned to remove any accumulated residue. If the cuvettes appear clean, simply rinse several times with distilled water, then once with acetone (to prevent watermarks) and leave to air-dry in an inverted position (eg on a tissue) before use.
Where should you hold a cuvette?
Cuvettes should always be held by the top section of the cell to avoid any damage to the lower portion of the cell where the light comes in.
What happens if you don’t wipe the cuvette?
Wipe the cuvette with a Kimwipe to remove any liquid and fingerprints on the outside of the cuvette. Both of these will interfere with light transmission and will cause erroneous readings.
How do smudges on cuvette affect absorbance?
A cuvette (with fingerprints on it) will give a slightly higher absorbance reading and the measured concentration will be significantly higher than the actual concentration.
What is the difference between quartz and glass cuvette?
Thermal Properties – A quartz material has a much higher melting point than glass. Chemical Compatibility – The chemical structure of quartz is stronger than glass making it able to handle a bigger range of chemicals that would melt or damage a glass cuvette. Modifications – Here is where glass cuvettes really shine.
What can a cuvette be manufactured from?
Cuvettes are commonly made from different transparent materials such as optical glass, quartz or transparent plastic. At first sight all such materials appear to be perfectly transparent and fit for all types of absorbance studies.
How much does a cuvette cost?
A standard cuvette typically requires a measurement volume between 50 ml and 2 ml.
How many times should a cuvette be rinsed?
Rinse four or five times with either buffer or purified water (a buffer rinse is used for samples such as some proteins that precipitate in purified water). For each rinse, introduce and remove the rinsing agent with the pipette.
How do you clean a cuvette?
Cuvettes can safely be soaked in diluted acids for an hour maximum. Actually, diluted sulfuric acid and diluted hydrochloric acid (2M) are great ways to remove stains and residue. Cleaning detergents are completely safe for soaking. These types of cleaners will not damage the quartz or fritted cuvettes.
What is the purpose of the blank?
According to the EPA, the “primary purpose of blanks is to trace sources of artificially introduced contamination.” Different types of blanks are used to identify the source of contamination in the sample. The types of blanks include equipment blank, field blank, trip blank, method blank, and instrument blank.