General Lab News

This article takes a critical look at the quality of glass used in the cannabis industry and, in particular, asks the question whether the optimum grades are being used for processing, storage, and delivery systems used for the wide array of liquid cannabis consumer products manufactured and consumed today. It compares the different types of glassware used for carrying out ultra-trace element analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), together with exhaustive studies carried out by the pharmaceutical industry to better understand the corrosive nature of pharmaceutical liquids on glass storage bottles and vails. 

The article concludes with with possible examples of using inferior quality glass for two specific application areas, one using dropper bottles with lead-based ink graduation marks and the other a study of legal and illicit vaping devices that found high levels of toxic metals in the THC

As a lab manager, you are responsible for managing the inventory in your laboratory.

This can be a challenging task, especially if you have a large inventory and a large number of items to manage. However, with the right approach and tools, you can effectively manage your lab inventory and ensure that your lab runs smoothly. In this guide, we will discuss some best practices for lab inventory management.

- Create a stock list - Every successful operation starts with planning, and inventory management is no exception. The first step in managing your lab inventory is to create a stock list. This list should include all the items in your inventory, including reagents, chemicals, lab equipment, and consumables. Once you have a complete list, you can then start to manage your inventory more effectively.

- Assign stock level - Once you have a stock list, the next step is to assign stock levels to each item. Stock levels indicate the minimum and

Moisture Matters

Moisture is a concern for virtually every industry. It can wreak havoc on product quality, production processes, and sample analysis. 

Moisture analysis is a process performed during research and development and manufacturing and production in a wide variety of laboratory and industrial applications.  

While laboratories rely on these processes to inspect and study samples, many manufacturers use them to ensure product quality and to meet standards. 

Batteries are a good example of a product where moisture content must be closely monitored.

Many other product manufacturers and packagers also practice moisture analysis, including food,

How To Guide: Cleaning Lab Glassware Safely

Laboratory glassware has frequent contact with a range of substances on a repeated basis and ensuring that equipment can be re-used safely requires a robust cleaning process. Effective cleaning also helps to prolong the life of the products used and protects the validity of future work. The act of cleaning lab glassware for reuse is often referred to as re-processing and can be carried out manually, with the use of automated washing equipment or a combination of both. This post originally printed here outlines the core steps to effective re-processing as well as general tips for cleaning glassware safely.

Reprocessing Laboratory Glassware Explained

A complete cleaning, or re-processing cycle

Question: We are using a bath of Alconox powder for cleaning several metallic parts.  We have found that both the concentration of Alconox, along with a set duration brings about the correct end result.  As the wash solution is created at the beginning of each working shift, a gradual ‘weakening’ of the process occurs. In some instances, we resort to manually replenishing the tank with a fresh mix mid-shift. 

Would you have any general advice?

Answer:  Alconox® Powdered Precision Cleaner, along with essentially all of our other aqueous detergents are great for using in a cleaning bath (soaking mechanisms) or ultrasonic bath.  (This of course assumes the right chemistry for the right residue/substrate is chosen.) The mechanism of depleting your bath varies with types of residues.  A hydrocarbon or silicon oil/grease will typically deplete the emulsifying

Q: We are looking to clean stainless steel shears and trimmers that have cannabis residue. We have heard great things about Alconox detergents. Will they work here?

A: Yes, absolutely. Ensuring that between batches, equipment is robustly cleaned to avoid cross contamination is essential to ensure your product stays pure.

The way it should be.

We would recommend soaking, scrubbing or ultrasonic tanks for the blades of the shears and trimmers in warm to hot, 2-5% Detonox® Ultimate Precision Cleaner or Alconox® Powdered Precision Cleaner.

Follow with thorough rinsing, with the first rinse being at or around the same temperature as the wash. In this way, we can avoid having the emulsions that form become thermally shocked and risk redepositing the oily, waxy residue.

Note: Many customers have reported success using Alconox powder as a grit or paste (small amount of water added to powder). This makes for a great scrub for trimmers and other tool

Q: What is the proper way to dispose of your detergents? Are they drain safe?

A: Detergent disposal in a proper manner is an integral part of a robust cleaning program regardless of scale or industry.

Alconox Inc. detergents are biodegradable and without added softeners, brighteners, dyes or fragrances. This ensures a free-rinsing, residue-free cleaning process. Our detergents between pH 2 and pH 12.5 are all classified as non corrosive based on 40 CFR 261.22. (As a matter of comparison, common household toilet cleaners can be as low as ph 1 and oven cleaner can be as high as ph 13-14.) Overall, the Alconox Inc. detergent portfolio is safe to go to drain.

As a global distributor of detergents, covering many thousands of municipalities, we certainly recommend reviewing local regulations which may or may not be more stringent for the detergent disposal. Review of our SDS and technical bulletins can assist your Environmental Health & Safety Manager,

Cleanrooms play an essential role in contamination-sensitive applications such as semiconductor fabrication, pharmaceuticals, optics, medical devices/life sciences, and many more. Cleanrooms control the number of particulates in the air (such as dust, microbes, and aerosols) to avoid compromising cleanroom processes and products made there. Standards for these enclosures are tight, especially for motion systems used in them. But following a few basic techniques lets designers use linear motion devices while maintaining an appropriately clean environment. Cleanrooms are classed according to the number of particles of a specific size per unit volume of space. To control the size of particulates in a cleanroom, designers filter and minimize the introduction of new particulates from personnel, materials, and equipment. Controlling particulate generation can be a challenge, particularly when the cleanroom encloses machinery. Micro-lithography, for example, uses slots of robots and other motion