Polysulfone (PSF) Labware

Polysulfone is used to make products where the combination of mechanical strength, autoclavability, chemical resistance, and clarity are critical to product performance, such as for centrifuge tubes, reusable filtration units, and dilution bottles.

The following table contains general use exposure ratings at 20°C. The ability of plastic materials to resist chemical attack and damage is dependent also on temperature, length of exposure to the chemical, and added stresses such as centrifugation. For more detailed chemical resistance ratings for Nalgene products and materials, please consult the resources referenced at the bottom of this page.

*Except for oxidizing acids; for oxidizing acids, see "Oxidizing agents, strong."

Only very specific Nalgene products are made from polysulfone. 

You can identify PSF reusable filterware by is transparent, straw-colored appearance. Polystyrene filterware is colorless, while polypropylene filterware has a milky-white haze in comparison.    

PSF Oakridge centrifuge tubes can also be distinguished from other centrifuge tube materials by their straw-colored, transparent appearance. Only 30ml and 50ml Oakridge-style tubes with screw caps are made from the PSF material. Polycarbonate centrifuge tubes, in comparison, are colorless and clear, and are available in a wider range of styles and sizes.

The only Nalgene bottles made from PSF are square dilution bottles (approx 200ml capacity). You can distinguish them once again by their transparent, straw-colored appearance compared with Nalgene polypropylene copolymer (PPCO) dilution bottles, which are milky-white in appearance.

Use, care, and cleaning
PSF labware will scratch if exposed to abrasive materials. Use only soft sponge-type cleaning utensils rather than brushes. And if you put your PSF labware in the dish washer, cover any hard metallic spindles with a piece of flexible tubing to prevent them from scratching your labware.

Centrifugation
PSF Oakridge Centrifuge tubes are designed for high-speed centrifugation up to 10,000xg when equipped with a standard screw closure. When equipped with a sealing cap, they remain leakproof up to 50,000xg. In all cases, the tube must be filled at least 80% full for proper performance. They may be spun in refrigerated or non-refrigerated centrifuges.  

Footnotes:
[1]. Heat Deflection Temperature is the temperature at which an injection molded bar deflects 0.1” when placed under 66 psig (ASTM D648) of pressure. Materials may be used above Heat Deflection Temperatures in non-stress applications; see Max. Use Temp.
[2]. Max. Use Temp. °C: this is related to the maximum continuous use temperature, ductile/brittle temperature and glass transition temperature, and represents the highest temperature at which the polymer can be exposed for the matter of minutes to 2 hours where there is little or no loss of strength.
[4]. STERILIZATION: Autoclaving (121°C, 15 psig for 20 minutes)—Clean and rinse items with distilled water before autoclaving. (Always completely disengage thread before autoclaving.) Certain chemicals which have no appreciable effect on resins at room temperature may cause deterioration at autoclaving temperatures unless removed with distilled water beforehand.
     EtO Gas—Ethylene Oxide: 100% EtO, EtO:Nitrogen mixture, EtO:HCFC mixture
     Dry Heat—exposure to 160°C for 120 minutes without stress/load on the polymer parts
     Disinfectants—Benzalkonium chloride, formalin/formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, etc.
     Radiation—gamma or beta irradiation at 25 kGy (2.5 MRad) with unstabilized plastic
[6]. “Yes” indicates the resin has been determined to be non-cytotoxic, based on USP and ASTM biocompatibility testing standards utilizing an MEM elution technique with WI38 human diploid lung cell line.
[7]. Resins meet requirements of CFR21 section of Food Additives Amendment of the Federal Food and Drug Act. End users are responsible for validation of compliance for specific containers used in conjunction with their particular applications. 
[12]. The brittleness temperature is the temperature at which an item made from the resin may break or cracked if dropped. This is not the lowest use temperature if care is exercised in use and handling.
[13]. Ratings based on 5-minute tests using 600 watts of power on exposed, empty labware. CAUTION: Do not exceed Max. Use Temp., or expose labware to chemicals which heating will cause to attack the plastic or be rapidly absorbed.

For assistance choosing products appropriate for your application, please speak with a Nalgene technical support representative team by phone at +1-585-586-8800 or (1-800-625-4327 US toll free), or email your request to technicalsupport@thermofisher.com.

In Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom please contact technical support by phone at +800-1234-9696 (toll free) or +49-6184-90-6321, or email your request to techsupport.labproducts.eu@thermofisher.com.

Regulatory support: for regulatory documentation of product or material claims, please contact Nalgene regulatory support at RocRegSupport@thermofisher.com