HPLC Vials
Universal HPLC / GC vials in clear or amber glass, in low-adsorption, low-extractable borosilicate, supplied with septum caps and inserts to keep trace analysis accurate.
Universal HPLC / GC vials, available clear or amber (light-protecting), supplied with septum caps and inserts. Borosilicate glass gives low adsorption and low extractables, keeping trace analysis accurate.
The 2 mL Standard Vial and Three Neck Formats
Autosampler trays are built around 12 × 32 mm this outer dimension. What people call a "2 mL vial" refers to that format; the actual nominal capacity is about 1.5–2 mL. The real variable in selection is the neck format, which must match how your autosampler grips the vial.
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| Neck format | Common size | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Screw neck（Screw） | Mostly 9 mm short thread, also 8 mm | Simply screwed on, reopenable, the most widely usable format and the current mainstream |
| Snap ring（Snap） | 11 mm | Press to close, fastest for batch loading; slightly less tight than screw necks, not suited to long-term storage of volatile samples |
| Crimp（Crimp） | 11 mm | Requires a crimping tool; the tightest seal, used for volatile samples and headspace; single-use and cannot be reopened |
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| Option | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Amber vials | Photosensitive substances (most vitamins, some antibiotics, APIs with conjugated structures, photodegradation impurity studies); where light protection matters, amber glass is far more reliable than wrapping in foil |
| Deactivated / silanized vials | Basic compounds and analytes sensitive to trace metals — silanol groups on ordinary glass adsorb basic samples, and this is usually why recovery of a low-concentration standard drops after a few hours |
| Polypropylene vials | Strongly alkaline mobile phases or fluoride-containing systems, to avoid glass leaching |
Two small accessories that cause most of the failures
Septa have a front and a back. On the common PTFE / silicone composite septum,the white PTFE face must face the sample, with the silicone side outward. Fitted the wrong way round, the silicone contacts the sample directly and leaches siloxane peaks — particularly visible under MS detection.
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| Accessories | Selection point |
|---|---|
| Septum material | PTFE / silicone composite is the general-purpose choice;pre-slit septareduce needle penetration force, needle bending and coring debris, and suit repeated injections; hard PTFE-only septa are for a single puncture |
| Number of punctures | Repeated punctures of the same septum shed debris and destroy the seal — for multiple injections choose pre-slit septa, or split the same sample across several vial positions |
| Insert volume | Commonly 150 / 200 / 250 / 300 µL, for samples too small to cover the needle position at the bottom of a standard vial |
| Insert shape | Conicalgives the highest recovery (least residue);flat-bottomstands stably; spring-loaded versions self-center, preventing the insert from shifting and the needle missing it |
Don't overtighten the cap. Overtightening a screw cap deforms the septum and destroys its elastic seal; turn about a quarter turn past first resistance. In sequence analysis of volatile samples, inconsistent cap torque is a hidden source of retention time drift.