Vials vs. 96-Well Plates for Chromatography

Vials and 96-well plates are both crucial consumables in chromatography. While vials were once the industry standard, 96-well plates have gained popularity in recent years. Each offers distinct advantages, making them valuable in various chromatography applications. Deciding between vials and 96-well plates is an important choice that should be carefully considered to determine the best option for your laboratory.

Vials

Despite the growing popularity of 96-well plates, vials continue to be widely used in chromatography. These single-use containers are available in both glass and plastic, with a range of closure options including screw caps, snap caps, and crimp caps. Vials are the preferred choice for gas chromatography, as they provide a secure seal to prevent evaporation. Crimp caps, in particular, offer an airtight seal, making them ideal for this type of analysis. Vials are also critical for maintaining the chain-of-custody in processes that ensure the integrity and authenticity of samples, such as in drug testing.

96-Well Plates

As technology advances, 96-well plates have become more common as chromatography instrumentation is built to accommodate these devices. Well plates are high-throughput containers that offer multiple cavities, unlike a single cavity vial. As their name suggests, 96-well plates have 96 cavities. These plates are well suited for liquid chromatography because analytes are less volatile and internal standards can compensate for some solvent evaporation. If the solvent requires a lot of evaporation, well plate instrumentation can be used with 96-well plates to decrease the amount of time needed for evaporation. Another benefit of well plates is the ability to minimize human errors as plates lend themselves to automation. Two of the most significant benefits of this method are its money- and time-saving capabilities, as it’s able to sample large portions at once.

In the debate between vials vs. 96-well plates for chromatography, each container has its advantages. Vials are a strong option for gas chromatography samples that need a tight seal, whereas 96-well plates are a great option for high-throughput liquid chromatography testing.