PARAFILM

Description

What is Parafilm?
Parafilm M Laboratory Film is a paraffin plastic film which typically comes in rolls with square demarcations printed on a paper backing. It is a ductile, malleable, waterproof, odorless, translucent, and cohesive thermoplastic, making it extremely versatile under a number of conditions. Originally commercialized in the 1930s and intended for map mounting, Parafilm was quickly adopted by lab scientists for a myriad of uses.
How is Parafilm used?
Parafilm is most commonly used for sealing and protecting vessels such as test tubes, cuvettes, and petri dishes. Since Parafilm is both stretchy and self-sealing, it is easily used on lab containers of all shapes and sizes.
Beyond these typical lab applications, many additional uses have taken advantage of the hydrophobic nature of the film. For instance, beads of aqueous liquid can be “dotted” on the surface, thereby making those samples easier to load into electrophoresis gels and other devices. In fact, any technique involving microliter volumes of aqueous solution can theoretically be performed using Parafilm. Of course, there are notable exceptions such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), which require sterile conditions to prevent the risk of contamination. Parafilm is also permeable by gasses such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour.
Parafilm M Laboratory Film
Parafilm M All-Purpose Laboratory Film Covers and Shields Your Products from Moisture While Allowing Gas Permeability
Keep moisture loss to a minimum and protect the contents of your laboratory items with a flexible covering for test tubes, beakers, petri dishes and more. Convenient, flexible and self-sealing – Parafilm M laboratory film is an essential item in health care, pharmaceutical and research labs.
Specifications for this item

1 roll of Parafilm M Laboratory Film in cardboard dispenser.
Item number: PM996
Roll size: 4 inches x 125 feet
Made in the USA

Efficient and cost-effective covering for:

Test tubes
Beakers
Vials
Petri dishes
Flasks
Various other instruments and objects with irregular surfaces
Overwrap to further secure stoppers, lids and caps
Shelf or tray liner to prevent slipping of bottles or instruments

Permeability

Oxygen: (ASTM 1927-98) 150 cc/m² d at 23°C and 50% RH
Carbon Dioxide: (Modulated IR Method) 1200 cc/m² d at 23°C and 0% RH

Water Vapor: (ASTM F1249-01)

Flat: 1 g/m² d at 38°C and 90% RH
Creased: 1 g/m² d at 38°C and 90% RH

Effects of Common Reagents

Potassium Permanganate

5%: No apparent effect except permanent dark brown coloration in 18 hours
0.1%: Same as 5% except slightly less color

Iodine solution (0.1N)

No effect except staining brown in 18 hours

Ethyl Alcohol (95%)

No apparent effect except some face whitening in 24 hours

No apparent effect in 24 hours:

Hydrochloric Acid conc. (12N)dil. (5n)
Sulphuric Acid conc. (36n) dil. (5n)
Nitric Acid conc. (16n) dil. (5n)
Sodium Hydroxide conc. (22%)
Ammonium Hydroxide conc. (28% NH3)
Salt (NACL) solution (20%)
Isopropyl Alcohol (99%)

Not recommended for use with chlorinated, non-polar aliphatic and aromatic solvents
Film becomes soft and sticky at about 130°F to 150°F (68°C)