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Around the kitchen measuring spoons and cups are a common tool for the cook to determine how much of each product is to be
added to a recipe.
This same principle is used in medical and manufacturing laboratories for analysis and testing. Manufacturing process
modeling is commonly done in lab settings where the volumes can be carefully controlled. Once the processes are proven, they are migrated to a larger scale for production. For
production purposes it is more common to convert the volume of materials into weights. However, large process vessels are sometimes fitted with graduated site glasses or tapes to
allow volumes to be monitored.
Glassware is generally used in labs since it does not generally deteriorate and can be cleaned for many reuses. Plastics
are popular for storage and single use applications. Some of the popular labware includes:
Beakers
in 10 to 4000 milliliter capacities. Approximate cost ranges are from about $3 each for 20 mL to $50 for 4000 mL.
Metering Buretts
for dispensing liquids in 10 to 100 mL capacities run around $100 each.
Pipettes
are for very precise additions of liquids. They are generally provided in sterile wrap and are often not reused due to contamination risks. Capacities range from 0.5 to 10 mL with graduations of 0.01 mL in the smaller sizes. They are typically sold by the case with 400 to 1000 pieces per case. Individual costs in case pricing are generally under $ 0.50 each.
Graduated Cylinders in 5 to 4000 mL capacities run about $20 each up to 100 mL, 1000 mL run around $60 with 4000 mL units costing about $200.
Erlenmeyer Flasks are
available from 10 mL to 6000 mL with costs ranging from $5 each for 10 mL to $100 each for 6000 mL.
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