Laboratory bottles

Nalgene laboratory bottles are in a class of their own. They're iconic in labs the world over for their guaranteed leakproof* performance and rugged construction. What makes Nalgene so great? Thermo Scientific Nalgene bottles and their caps are carefully engineered to work perfectly together, providing dependable leakproof* performance, every time, guaranteed. 

Looking for ways to make your lab more sustainable?  Nalgene high-density polyethylene bottles are reusable, durable and readily recyclable at end-of-life; discover more about Nalgene bottle sustainability and green manufacturing practices through our participation in My Green Lab's ACT Label program. 

Bottle & Carboy Selection Guide

Shop for Nalgene bottles

Bottles by material
 

Bottles by material

Available material types:

Bottles by shape
 

Bottles by shape

Available shapes:

Bottles by wide or narrow mouth

Wide and narrow mouth bottles

Available mouth types:

Select your bottle by plastic material

Nalgene
Polypropylene
Nalgene High Density Polyethylene
Nalgene Low Density Polyethylene
Nalgene Polycarbonate
Nalgene
Polyethylene terephthalate
(Copolymer G)
Nalgene Fluoropolymer
Good chemical
compatibility,
translucent,
autoclavable		Good chemical compatibility,
translucent, low cost		Good chemical compatibility, translucent, low cost, flexibleWindow clear, impact resistant, freezer to autoclaveWindow clear,
pre-sterilized		Amazing chemical resistance and inertness
PPCOHDPELDPEPCPETGFEP/PFA
See full details on selecting your bottle by plastic material
Nalgene
Polypropylene
Nalgene High Density Polyethylene
Nalgene Low Density Polyethylene
Nalgene Polycarbonate
Nalgene
Polyethylene terephthalate
(Copolymer G)
Nalgene Fluoropolymer
Good chemical
compatibility,
translucent,
autoclavable		Good chemical compatibility,
translucent, low cost		Good chemical compatibility, translucent, low cost, flexibleWindow clear, impact resistant, freezer to autoclaveWindow clear,
pre-sterilized		Amazing chemical resistance and inertness
PPCOHDPELDPEPCPETGFEP/PFA
4mL - 8L4mL - 4L8mL - 8L15mL - 2L30mL - 2L30mL - 2.2L
milky-white
translucent		milky-white
translucent		milky-white translucentwindow clear window clear hazy white translucent
semi-rigidmoderate flexibilityvery flexiblerigidmoderate flexibilityvery flexible
autoclavablenot autoclavablenot autoclavableautoclavablenot autoclavableautoclavable
max use
121oC		max use
120oC		max use
70oC
max use
135oC
max use
70oC
205oC FEP
260oC PFA 
brittle1 below
-40oC		brittle1 below
-100oC		brittle1 below
-76oC		brittle1 below
-135oC		brittle1 below
-40oC		brittle1 below
-270oC
complies with
Part 21
CFR 177.1520
for food use		complies with
Part 21
CFR 177.1520
for food use2		complies with
Part 21
CFR 177.1520
for food use2		complies with
Part 21
CFR 177.1580
for food use		complies with
Part 21
CFR 177.1315
for food use3		FEP complies with Part 21
CFR 177.1550
for food use4
BPA-Free BPA-Free BPA-Free Contains BPABPA-Free BPA-Free 
phthalate-freephthalate-freephthalate-freephthalate-freephthalate-freephthalate-free
 ACT Label    

Footnotes:
1. Brittleness temp is the temperature at which an item made from the material may break or crack if dropped.  This is not the lowest use temperature if care is exercised in use and handling.
2. HDPE and LDPE are acceptable for: Nonacid, aqueous products; may contain salt, sugar or both (pH above 5.0). Dairy products and modifications; oil-in-water emulsions, high or low fat. Moist bakery products with surface containing no free fat or oil. Dry solids with the surfaces containing no free fat or oil (no end-test required) and under all conditions as described in Table 2 of FDA Regulation 177.1520 except condition A - high temperature sterilization (e.g. over 100° C / 212° F).
3. PETG is acceptable for alcoholic foods containing not more than 15% (by volume) alcohol; fill and storage temperature not to exceed 49° C (120° F). Non-alcoholic foods of hot fill to not exceed 82° C (180° F) and 49° C (120° F) in storage. Not suitable for carbonated beverages or beer or packaging food requiring thermal processing.
4. PFA has no food compliance

What chemicals are compatible with my plastic bottles

Acids, dilute or weekAcids^ strong, concentratedAlcohols, aliphaticAldehydes
Bases/alkaliEstersHydrocarbons, aliphaticHydrocarbons, aromatic
Hydrocarbons, halogenatedKetones, aromaticOxidizing agents, strong 
Hydrocarbons,
Hydrocarbons,
See details on chemical compatibility with plastic bottles
 Nalgene PolypropyleneNalgene High Density PolyethyleneNalgene Low Density PolyethyleneNalgene PolycarbonateNalgene Polyethylene terephthalate (Copolymer G)Nalgene Fluoropolymer
Acids, dilute or weakEEEEGE
Acids^ strong, concentratedGGGNNE
Alcohols, aliphaticEEEGGE
AldehydesGGGFGE
Bases/alkaliEEENNE
EstersGGGNFE
Hydrocarbons, aliphaticGGFGGE
Hydrocarbons, aromatic NNNNNE
Hydrocarbons, halogenated NNNNNE
Ketones, aromaticNNNNNE
Oxidizing agents, strongFFFFFE

For a more detailed chemical resistance guide by chemical and application temperature, please refer to the Nalgene Chemical Resistance Wall Chart or contact Nalgene Technical Support.

 E No damage after 30 days constant exposure at 20 oC 
 G Little or no damage after 30 days constant exposure at 20oC
 F Some effect after 7 days constant exposure at 20oC
 N No recommended. Immediate damage may occur

^Except for oxidizing acids, see "Oxidizing acids, strong."

Why are Nalgene bottles leakproof? It's in the design.

 Click image to enlarge

Nalgene bottles are available in a variety of weights and packaging configurations to accommodate a broad range of applications, budgets and scales of use. Start with small quantity lab packs and scale up to bulk packed production bottles without changing plastics.

For help selecting the best product for your lab, use the Nalgene Bottle and Carboy Online Selection Guide ›

Start every day with dependable labware | Thermo Scientific Nalgene labware

Your work depends on quality and consistency, and we believe every lab should have the best tools. Watch Video

Guidelines and tips for choosing the right bottle for your lab application

Nalgene containers are made from a wide variety of plastic types to meet the needs of virtually any laboratory application. Care should be taken to ensure chemical compatibility between the type of plastic chosen and the intended contents of the bottle. Likewise, some plastic materials provide better performance at high or low temperature extremes than others.  

For help selecting the Nalgene bottles that are perfect for your lab applications, use our online selection guide, or request a copy of our  chemical compatibility wall chart, or for personal assistance, contact the  Nalgene Technical Support.

Nalgene bottles are made only from the highest quality plastic materials that meet pharmaceutical, laboratory and food grade standards; our plastic resins are selected to minimize additives and reduce potential leachables. Nalgene bottles are manufactured in our ISO 13485:2016 registered manufacturing facilities.  Most of our plastic resin materials are DMF registered and meet a number of regulatory specifications including: USP Class VI, EP monographs, EU food-contact directives, CONEG, RoHS, CA Prop 65, SARA Title III Sec. 313, and 21 CFR pt 177.  For regulatory claims and certifications applicable to specific Nalgene bottles, please contact Nalgene Regulatory Support at  RocRegSupport@thermofisher.com.

Chemical resistance simplified
To choose the best lab plastics for your application, download our guide ›

Or request a printed poster for your lab.

 

*The term “leakproof” applies to Thermo Scientific Nalgene products that meet the following criteria: a) Bottle/flask/funnel closure systems with closures smaller than 100mm, after they are filled with water, inverted, withstand air pressure of 2psig for 2 minutes, and no water escapes;. b) Bottle/funnel/flask closure systems of larger than 100mm after they are filled with water, inverted for 15 minutes, and no water escapes. Note: these tests, using other liquids, may not yield the same results. To ensure safe usage, customers are advised to test Thermo Scientific Nalgene bottles and closures under conditions of their planned applications. Thermo Scientific Nalgene products are leakproof at ambient temperature and pressure when used with their Nalgene closures.

Select the Nalgene dilution bottle that works for you

Nalgene dilution bottles make 1/10 and 1/100 dilutions simple. Graduated at 90mL and 99mL, with plenty of head space for reagent additions after dilution, often eliminating the need to transfer diluted samples to another container for further process steps.

Polypropylene copolymer (PPCO) dilutions bottles offer the best chemical resistance and will hold up to Tween exposure even at high temperatures.

Choose polysulfone (PSF) dilution bottles for better clarity and easier liquid level viewing and for their higher graduation accuracy (PSF ±1ml versus PPCO ±4mL). 


ACT: Accountability. Consistency. Transparency.

When looking for sustainable products, we believe it should be easy to make informed purchasing decisions. We're working to provide more information about our products' environmental impact by participating in the ACT Label program with a selection of Thermo Scientific Nalgene and Matrix products. It's like an eco-nutrition label for sustainability.

Learn more

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