Caps & Plugs

Tube caps and plugs are a simple consumable with a critical function — maintaining the integrity of a sample or culture between processing steps. An ill-fitting cap that allows evaporation during incubation alters sample concentration and introduces variability that cannot be corrected downstream. Loose closures on biological specimens create aerosol and spill risks during centrifugation, while caps that are too tight increase the risk of tube cracking and sample loss when opening under pressure. Cap material must also be compatible with the solvent or biological matrix inside the tube — polypropylene caps resist most aqueous and mild organic environments, while specialty formulations are required for aggressive solvent exposure or autoclave sterilization cycles.

Ibis Scientific supplies tube caps and plugs in snap-cap, screw-cap, and push-in plug formats compatible with standard 12 mm, 13 mm, 16 mm, and 17 mm culture tube and test tube diameters, in polypropylene and polyethylene materials, sterile and non-sterile configurations, suited to clinical, microbiological, and general laboratory tube closure applications. Contact us for volume pricing or to add caps and plugs to an existing Ibis Scientific order program.