Centrifuge tubes are classified into three types according to their materials.

1. Plastic Centrifuge Tubes
The advantages of plastic centrifuge tubes are their transparency or semi-transparency, low hardness, and the ability to extract samples via puncture. Disadvantages include easy deformation, poor resistance to organic solvents, and short lifespan.

Plastic centrifuge tubes all have caps, which prevent sample leakage, especially important when dealing with radioactive or highly corrosive samples. The caps also prevent sample evaporation and support the tubes, preventing deformation. When selecting centrifuge tubes, it's crucial to check for a tight seal, ensuring no leakage even when inverted.

Common materials for plastic centrifuge tubes include polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), and polypropylene (PP). Polypropylene (PP) tubes generally offer better performance, so they should be considered whenever possible.

Plastic centrifuge tubes are typically disposable laboratory equipment and repeated use is not recommended. To save costs, PP centrifuge tubes can be reused as needed, but they must be thoroughly sterilized under high temperature and pressure to ensure the scientific accuracy of the experimental results. PE centrifuge tubes cannot be sterilized under high temperature and pressure.

Plastic centrifuge tube packaging or instructions usually indicate the centrifugal force or recommended speed that the product can withstand. To ensure experimental safety and reliable results, centrifuge tubes with speeds matching the experimental requirements should be selected.

2. Glass Centrifuge Tubes

When using glass tubes, the centrifugal force should not be too high. Rubber pads should be used to prevent the tubes from breaking. High-speed centrifuges generally do not use glass tubes. If the centrifuge tube cap is not tightly sealed, the liquid should not be filled completely (especially for high-speed centrifuges using angle rotors) to prevent overflow and loss of balance. Overflow will contaminate the rotor and centrifuge chamber, affecting the normal operation of the sensors. When performing ultracentrifugation, the centrifuge tubes must be filled completely because ultracentrifugation requires a high vacuum, and only by filling them completely can deformation be prevented.

3. Steel Centrifuge Tubes

Steel centrifuge tubes are strong, do not deform, and are heat-resistant, freeze-resistant, and chemically corrosion-resistant. Their applications are quite widespread, but they should also be kept away from highly corrosive chemicals such as strong acids and alkalis. Try to avoid the corrosive effects of these chemicals.