Vials are tiny containers used for storing products of small proportions. They are usually shaped as little bottles and they can be used in laboratories or in distributing different medicine. Glass vials vary from 1/3 dram to 8 dram and they are generally used for more sensitive substances, like liquids for example. Amber colored ones are great for protecting the contents from light, while clear flacons are perfect for any type of material that doesn’t require special storing conditions. Plastic vials can come in bigger sizes, up to 50 dram. Their biggest advantage is the fact that they weight much less than the other recipients. All these sorts of vials and more can be found in online catalogues distributed by suppliers or directly by the manufacturer.

Usually referred to as flacons or flasks as well, vials are tiny recipients that are designated to hold small amounts of substances. The word is derived from the Greek phial and it means a broad flat container. The reason is because they have a flat bottom, not a rounded one. This design is much more efficient in laboratories because it eases the process of loading a liquid in a syringe. Glass vials for example can look like little bottles, but their shape varies accordingly to their purpose. Most of the plastic vials however are tubular. They are preferred when weight, breakage and disposal costs are concerns.

Glass vials are usually the tiniest. You can find extremely little ones, with a volume of 1/3 dram (1/24 oz), but there are slightly bigger ones as well. Their capacity increases, depending on what they should be used for. The tiny bottle shaped ones are also known as bijou and they are often used in laboratories. They can stand very high temperatures and this is the reason why they are the most commonly used containers in laboratories. They are also compatible with a wide range of substances.

Plastic vials have the advantage of being more resistant when it comes to breakage. They are generally made from polypropylene, a modern material which makes them easier to handle in labs. They are also non-reactive with most chemical substances. Plastic vials also come in a variety of sizes, from 2.5 dram (0.28 oz) to 50 dram (6.25 oz). They come standard with a tightly fitted snap cap lid that keeps the contents safely inside the recipient.

Vials manufacturers or distributers provide online services to their clients. Everyone has the possibility of browsing a full catalogue on their web pages, where they can find all the details they should know about the products. Besides vials, they also usually produce plastic jars or bigger plastic containers that can even hold 177 ml of substance. The designs vary as well; everything from shape to color can be customized to meet any rigorous requirement. This is important because when you are working in a laboratory every tiny detail can change the course of your research.
There are plenty of options to chose from if you need glass vials http://www.thorntonplastics.com/glass-vials.html. Plastic vials http://www.thorntonplastics.com/plastic-vials-1.html are equally useful when it comes to storing or sampling.