TIPS ON HANDLING CUVETTES
PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING

1. Our precision cuvettes are made of glass or quartz glass and have all the advantages and disadvantages (such as the inherent fragility) of these materials. Once the measurement process is complete, we generally recommend that you immediately clean, dry and store the cuvettes in cases.
2. Do not store the cuvettes in the open in a corrosive atmosphere, and do not leave the polished windows in contact with liquids for an extended period of time. This could lead to the formation of deposits or stains on the polished surfaces, rendering the cuvettes unusable.
3. In order to avoid scratching the precision-polished windows, cuvettes should never come into contact with objects made of hard materials, such as glass or metal.
 

● Care is required when inserting cuvettes into a metal cuvette holder.
● When using a pipette to fill cuvettes with liquids, never touch the polished window with the pipette.
● Never use metal tweezers or pliers to carry or hold cuvettes.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUVETTES SEALED WITH STOPPERS

Cuvettes containing liquid and sealed with stoppers may break if the internal pressure increases.
The most common reason for such an increase in pressure is the expansion of the liquid in the cuvette due to a rise in temperature. This may be caused by:
● heat from an external source, such as thermal conduction via the cuvette holder
● a chemical reaction in the liquid
● radiation absorption in the liquid

TAKING THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS WILL HELP PREVENT CUVETTES FROM BREAKING:

1. Fill the cuvette just high enough for the light beam to pass through the liquid unimpeded. This allows the liquid to expand into the remaining air volume if the temperature increases.
2. If you fill the cuvette to the rim, put the stopper on loosely so that any excess liquid can escape.
3. Do not try to force the stopper into place, as this will inevitably damage the cuvette.
4. Use stoppers with a capillary hole.

 CARE MUST ALSO BE TAKEN AT LOW TEMPERATURES.

Although it is possible to cool an empty cuvette down to a few degrees Kelvin without breaking it, when filled with water and cooled to just a few degrees below the freezing point, the same cuvette may burst,
even if it is not sealed. This is because water expands in all directions when cooled and if it freezes may cause the cuvette to burst.