Tubular glass vials are common to find in hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. Superficially, all glass vials look same, but inside, there’s a wide difference between vials no matter how similar they look. Let’s take the example of tubular and molded glass vials.
Generally, we call them pharmaceutical tubular glass vials, as they’re common to use in this category related works, yet they both have a difference in terms of their manufacturing material, uses, and a number of applications. In this blog post, we’re going to cover some notable differences between both molded and tubular glass vials.
First, you need to learn what vials actually are;
A vial is like a bottle or a glass vessel which is used for storing chemicals or medicines. The word "vial" is derived from the Greek word “phial” which means "a broad flat container." Now, plastic made vials are also available.
Glass vials are chiefly used for storage, but it can also be used for measurement, visual inspection of specimens, mixing chemicals, and transporting chemicals and medicines.
Molded Glass Vial
The molded serum bottle or glass vial is made from molten glass which is dropped into a mold, compressed, and then taken out when it gets hardened. These glass vials have a thicker wall in contrast to tubing vial and a convex bottom. It also has a vertical seal which is faintly visible running along the side of a molded serum bottle.
The molded vials are obtained by pouring molten glass into molds. On the other hand, tubular vials are obtained by using glass tube by hot edges.
Tubular Glass Vial
A tubing serum vial or tubular glass vial is made of long glass tubes with a rigid wall thickness; the tubing is then sliced to proper lengths to make the vial. The preferred standpoint to tubing vials is that the divider is uniform in thickness and the base of the vial is level (versus arched in a formed vial). Tubing vials are a better alternative for use in lyophilization applications.
The glass tubular vials can also be used for lyophilization, unlike molded glass. It’s also quite expansive then molded glass vials
Appearance
The tubular glass vials are highly transparent as compared to molded glass vials. The tubular glass vials have a thinner bottom as well. While, molded glass vials are thick and rough, and has a close tolerance of external diameter of tubular glass vials
Material
Some tubular glass vials are made of low borosilicate glass, and some are made of neutral borosilicate glass. But molded glass vials are made of soda-lime glass. That’s the reason, they’re less resistant to acid as compared to tubular glass vials.
