Borosilicate Erlenmeyer Flasks

The Erlenmeyer flask, designed by chemist Emil Erlenmeyer in 1860, is the conical flat-bottomed flask found in every lab. Its sloping sides and narrow neck are deliberately functional: the contents can be swirled hard to mix or dissolve without splashing out, the narrow opening reduces evaporation and is easy to stopper, and the flat base sits stably on a hotplate.

In borosilicate 3.3 it tolerates heating and thermal shock, which is why it is used for everything from boiling and recrystallisation to microbial shake-flask culture.

Heating and boiling, mixing and titration, microbial culture in shake flasks, recrystallisation, sample preparation, and general chemistry, in teaching, QC and research labs. Wide-mouth and baffled versions exist for culturing; ground-joint versions connect to other apparatus.

A conical borosilicate 3.3 body with a flat base and a narrow neck, finished with a plain beaded rim, a ground joint, or a screw thread depending on use. Approximate enamel graduations aid rough volume estimation but are not Class A. The narrow neck takes a cotton plug, bung, stopper or cap.

Borosilicate withstands direct heating, but heat gradually and use a flame guard or hotplate evenly to avoid hot spots; never heat a sealed flask. The graduations are approximate, so use a measuring cylinder or volumetric flask for accurate volumes. Inspect for star cracks before heating, as a flawed flask can fail under thermal stress.

Formed from borosilicate 3.3 by blowing into the conical shape, then annealed to relieve stress — important for glass that will be heated and cooled repeatedly. Enamel graduations are screen-printed and fired. Wall evenness and thermal performance are checked.