Clearly, it's better to use shape-matched rotors (I sort of assumed that you do that already!); however the BD/Falcon polyethylene tubes (conical ends) will actually change shape (flow) when placed into the round-ended rotors, if the speed is high enough -- and most of the time the tubes survive the transition w/o ill effects. Polycarbonate ones will shatter every time if their end taper does not match the rotor taper (ok, at < 5000g they will probably survive).
Artem On Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 4:40 PM, Raji Edayathumangalam <r...@brandeis.edu> wrote: > Hello Everyone, > > Many many thanks to all the folks who responded to my question with very > good suggestions. > > Here's a very quick and dirty summary of the various tubes and rotors that > people use without any issues: > (1) 50ml Nalgene tubes for an SS-34 rotor > (2) Shape-matched new Fiberlite rotors > (3) Nalgene round-bottom centrifuge tubes (re-usable) > (4) Beckman ultracentrifuge tubes (re-usable) > (5) 50 ml Falcon tubes (red cap) > (6) 50 ml Corning tubes in F13S-14x50cy rotor > (7) Polyethylene tubes work but polycarbonate do not, for some folks > > It seems Fiberlite rotors were a common suggestion and a bunch of folks > suggested that breakage may have AS MUCH to do with centrifuge and > shape-complementarity (understandably) as much as with the centrifuge tubes. > > Many thanks for your time and help. Go CCP4BB! > Raji > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Raji Edayathumangalam <r...@brandeis.edu> > Date: Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 11:59 AM > Subject: Crack-resistant tubes for centrifugation > To: "CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK" <CCP4BB@jiscmail.ac.uk> > > > Hi Folks, > > Are you any favorite brands out there for crack-resistant 50mL > centrifugation tubes. It seems we are having recurring episodes of Falcon > and Corning tubes cracking even at 9,000 rpm, which is the maximum speed > possible with our rotor. I have used Falcon tubes for years in the past > without problems and I want to be able to spin down bacterial lysates > without a mess. > > Any suggestions for tubes that have worked well in your experience? > > Thanks, > Raji > > -- > Raji Edayathumangalam > Instructor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School > Research Associate, Brigham and Women's Hospital > Visiting Research Scholar, Brandeis University >
