Selecting the appropriate pipette tip for your purpose is crucial to guaranteeing precise and accurate outcomes. When choosing a pipette, there are several things to take into account. These include the kind of pipette you're using, the amount of liquid you're transferring, the liquid's viscosity, and the purity requirements of your application.

Type of pipette

Positive displacement and air displacement are the two basic varieties of pipettes. The most popular kind of pipette is an air displacement pipette, which aspirates and dispenses liquid by creating a vacuum. Positive displacement pipettes, which are frequently used for pipetting viscous liquids or liquids containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), work by using a piston to force liquid through the pipette. Different kinds of pipettes call for various kinds of pipette tips. For instance, universal pipette tips are needed for air displacement pipettes, whereas specific pipette tips made for that kind of pipette are needed for positive displacement pipettes.

Volume of liquid

There are several different volumes of pipette tips, ranging from 0.1 µL to 5 mL. Selecting a pipette tip with the right volume for the liquid you are transferring is crucial. It can be challenging to aspirate and dispense the required volume of liquid when using a pipette tip that is too small, and using one that is too large can produce unreliable results.

Viscosity of the liquid

Selecting the right pipette tip can also be influenced by the liquid's viscosity. Viscous liquids, like honey or glycerol, can be challenging to precisely aspirate and dispense. It is advised to use a low-retention pipette tip for viscous liquids. A unique coating on low-retention pipette tips helps to lessen the amount of liquid that sticks to the inside of the tip.

Purity requirements

Certain applications require the use of sterile and pyrogen-free pipette tips, such as those in molecular biology and cell culture. While pyrogen-free pipette tips are free of endotoxins—bacterium-produced substances that cause fever—sterile pipette tips are free of bacteria and other microorganisms.

You can select the ideal pipette tip for your application and guarantee accurate and precise results by taking into account the factors mentioned above.