Are 1.5 ml Safe-Lock micro test tubes safe for use in the food industry in USA?The composition of the 1.5 ml Safe-Lock micro test tubes conforms to the specifications of the FDA regulation 21 CFR § 177,1520 "Olefin polymers". Please note: The suitability of a consumer item for the intended purpose, the influence of the taste and smell of the filled goods and the conformation to limits (e.g. global migration, specific limits and further analytical requirements) must be checked with the manufacturer or user in individual cases.

Are 1.5 ml Safe-Lock micro test tubes safe for use in the food industry in Europe?Our 1.5 ml Safe-Lock micro test tubes are suitable for use in the food industry according to the Food and Consumer Goods Legislation § 5, paragraph 1 no. 1 (food and consumer goods). Please note: The suitability of a consumer item for the intended purpose, the influence of the taste and smell of the filled goods and the conformation to limits (e.g. global migration, specific limits and further analytical requirements) must be checked with the manufacturer or user in individual cases.

Do your Safe-Lock micro test tubes contain polyethylene glycol (PEG)?No. All our test tubes are made from pure polypropylene. The material does not contain PEG.

In which temperature range can the Safe-Lock micro test tubes be used?They can be used from -80 °C to +100 °C. However at temperatures of 95 °C the tube lids are more likely to pop open. For purposes of autoclaving, the tubes can be heated up to 121 °C.

To what extent are the amber colored Safe-Lock micro test tubes permeable to fluorescent dyes?The amber colored Safe-Lock micro test tubes protect from light in the spectrum from 700 nm to the UV spectrum of 190 nm. In the spectrum of visible light (350 - 600 nm) the protection is optimal with lessening intensity. At approx. 550 nm (excitation wavelength for Cy3) the measured deletion is app. 1, meaning that 90 % of the incident light is blocked by the walls of the tube. At 650 nm (excitation wavelength for Cy5) the measured deletion is app. 0.35, meaning that app. 65 % of the incident light is blocked by the walls of the tube. If that is not sufficient, we recommend wrapping the tube in aluminum foil.

Can Eppendorf micro test tubes be stored in liquid nitrogen?Eppendorf Tubes can be stored up to –200°C in the gaseous phase directly above the liquid nitrogen although we can't guarantee that the tubes stay sealed as it is possible that the lid could open accidentally. WARNING! Do not use Eppendorf tubes for storage in the liquid phase of liquid nitrogen. Such use may cause entrapment of liquefied nitrogen inside the vial and lead to pressure build-up resulting in possible explosion or biohazard release.

What is the life expectancy of Eppendorf micro test tubes?At least 5 years at a storage temperature of +5 to +35 °C.

From what material are your micro test tubes manufactured?All of our tubes are manufactured from polypropylene. The polypropylene we use fulfils the specifications of the FDA for the use of plastics for foodstuffs. No metal-based dyes are used.

Do you offer siliconized micro test tubes?Our tube assortment does not include coated or siliconized tubes. In order to keep sample loss caused by the adsorption of sample material on the tube wall to a minimum, we recommend using the Eppendorf Protein LoBind Tubes or Eppendorf DNA LoBind Tubes. These are made of a special type of polypropylene and are manufactured under optimized process conditions.

Is there a chemical resistance overview for the individual micro test tube types?Yes. The Eppendorf Application No. 56 "The best material for original eppis!" includes among other things a detailed material stability overview.

Can Eppendorf micro test tubes be sterilized with ethylene oxide?Yes, this is possible. Please note that the micro test tubes have to be taken out of the packaging for sterilization. In addition, please note that some ethylene oxide will remain in the material after sterilization.

Can your micro test tubes be frozen at -80 °C?Yes. Please refer to the operating manual.

Can your micro test tubes be coated with acrylic resin within the framework of a UV polymerization?Yes, the tubes can withstand UV polymerization. However, we cannot give you any instructions for the procedure.

Can contamination of micro test tubes by bacterial endotoxin be inactivated by autoclaving?No. Bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) are very stable and withstand normal autoclaving at 121 °C. To inactivate LPS, the objects have to be baked at 250 °C, which, of course, is not possible with plastics.

Are the Eppendorf micro test tubes anti-static?Our tubes are not produced from antistatic material, i.e. they are basically not antistatic. But it should be noted that the use of antistatic agents during production will destroy or reduce the wettability of the tubes.

Which Eppendorf micro test tubes are free of DNA?All micro test tubes designated with "PCR clean" are free of human DNA, DNase, RNase and PCR inhibitors. Our Safe-Lock micro test tubes are also available in the "Eppendorf Biopur" purity standard. Due to the special manufacturing processes and the individual blister-packaging, Biopur products are certified "DNA free".

What level of protein binding affinity do your micro test tubes demonstrate?Our micro test tubes are used both in the proteomics area and for storage and transport of many different protein solutions. If you work with low protein concentrations, we recommend using the Eppendorf Protein LoBind Tubes. These tubes are made of a special type of polypropylene and are manufactured under optimized process conditions. In comparison to standard polypropylene tubes, these tubes therefore demonstrate a considerably lower affinity to proteins.

How do you define the temperature entry "RT", for example, as a storage condition for your micro test tubes?Definition of RT (room temperature): +5 to +35 °C.

What is the best way to label Eppendorf micro test tubes?The micro test tube should be clean and free from grease and only labeled on the space provided. Water-resistant felt pens from Steadtler S and F, in black, are the most suitable for this. The writing should be left to dry for at least 2 min.

Do your micro test tubes contain heavy metals?Lead, cadmium, mercury, etc. are well below the prescribed limits of the DIN norm. In the course of the production process it is impossible to avoid the smallest quantities of metal resulting from machine friction.

Overview regarding the centrifugation resistance of Eppendorf tubesSafe-Lock 0.5 ml: 30,000 x g / Biopur 22,000 x g / DNA LoBind 30,000 x g / Protein LoBind 18,000 x g Safe-Lock 1.5 ml: 30,000 x g / Biopur 22,000 x g / DNA LoBind 30,000 x g / Protein LoBind 18,000 x g Safe-Lock 2.0 ml: 25,000 x g / Biopur 22,000 x g / DNA LoBind 25,000 x g / Protein LoBind 18,000 x g 3810X: 30,000 x g 3810: 25,000 x g When using form-fitting tubes and buckets and filling the tubes with their nominal volume, centrifugation of the Safe-Lock Tubes at 25 °C for 30 min at up to 70,000 x g (RT) is possible. Tubes can be centrifuged in a 45°-fixed-angle rotor at 40 °C sample temperature and 90 min with aqueous saline solution (density 1.0 g/ml) up to the above g-forces. The centrifugation resistance depends on the temperature and will be lower at sample temperatures of 40 °C. Liquids with a higher density or affect the stability of the tubes (organic solvents, acids) may reduce the mechanical resilience of the tubes.

Are the Eppendorf tubes autoclavable?Yes, all Eppendorf tubes are autoclavable when open (20 min, 121 °C, 1 bar).