Carboys | Thermo Fisher Scientific

Nalgene carboys are time-tested workhorses in the lab, known for their leakproof guarantee and unmatched rugged construction. Nalgene carboys are made from high-quality plastic resin materials, and meet rigorous standards. That's why millions of Nalgene carboys are safely at work in laboratories and bioproduction facilities around the world. Choose from a wide range of quality carboys to fit your application, from dispensing DI water to mixing reagents, media and bulk vaccines.

Shop for Nalgene carboys

Carboys by material

Available material types:

Carboys by volume

Available volume types:

Select your carboy by plastic material

Polypropylene	Polypropylene Copolymer	High Density Polyethylene	Low Density Polyethylene	Polycarbonate	Fluorinated High Density Polyethylene
Good chemical compatibility, translucent, autoclavable	Good chemical compatibility, translucent, autoclavable	Good chemical compatibility, translucent, low cost	Good chemical compatibility, translucent, low cost	Window clear, impact resistant, freezer to autoclave	Enhanced chemical compatibility with organic solvents
PP	PPCO	HDPE	LDPE	PC	FLPE

8L-50L	9L-50L	8L-33L	4L-50L	9L-20L	9L-20L
Milky white translucent	Milky white translucent	Milky white translucent	Milky white translucent	Window clear	Milky white translucent, yellowish tint
Autoclavable	Autoclavable	Not autoclavable	Not autoclavable	Autoclavable	Not autoclavable
Max use 135^oC	Max use 121^oC	Max use 120^oC	Max use 70^oC	Max use 130^oC	Max use 120^oC
Brittle² below 0^oC	Brittle² below -40^oC	Brittle²below -100^oC	Brittle²below -76^oC	Brittle² below -135^oC	Brittle²below -100^oC
Complies with Part 21 CFR 177.1520 for food use	Complies with Part 21 CFR 177.1520 for food use	Complies with Part 21 CFR 177.1520 for food use¹	Complies with Part 21 CFR 177.1520 for food use¹	Complies with Part 21 CFR 177.1580 for food use	Complies with Part 21 CFR 177.1520 for food use¹
BPA-Free	BPA-Free	BPA-Free	BPA-Free	Contains BPA	BPA-Free
Phthalate-free	Phthalate-free	Phthalate-free	Phthalate-free	Phthalate-free	Phthalate-free

What chemicals are compatible with my plastic carboys?

	Polypropylene	Polypropylene Copolymer	High Density Polyethylene	Low Density Polyethylene	Polycarbonate	Fluorinated High Density Polyethylene
Acids, dilute or weak	E	E	E	E	E	E
Acids^ strong, concentrated	G	G	G	G	N	G
Alcohols, aliphatic	E	E	E	E	G	E
Aldehydes	G	G	G	G	F	G
Bases/alkali	E	E	E	E	N	F
Esters	G	G	G	G	N	G
Hydrocarbons, aliphatic	G	G	G	F	G	E
Hydrocarbons, aromatic	N	N	N	N	N	E
Hydrocarbons, halogenated	N	N	N	N	N	G
Ketones, aromatic	N	N	N	N	N	G
Oxidizing agents, strong	F	F	F	F	F	F

For a more detailed chemical resistance guide by chemical and application temperature, please refer to Chemical resistance guide or request a printed poster for your lab 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 20^oC.
F	Some effect after 7 days constant exposure at 20^oC.
N	Not recommended. Immediate damage may occur.

Why are Nalgene carboys leakproof? It’s in the design.

Click image to enlarge

We stand behind every Nalgene carboy and jerrican you buy

Nalgene carboys and closures are engineered to work together with a strong, semi-buttress thread design that prevents stripping. We offer a leak-proof* guarantee because we manufacture and test both components together as part of our routine quality inspection process.

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

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Guidelines and tips for choosing the right carboy 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 carboy. Likewise, some plastic materials provide better performance at high or low temperature extremes than others.

For help selecting the Nalgene carboy 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 carboys 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 carboys are manufactured in our ISO 13485:2003 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 carboys, 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.

Resources

Related information

Nalgene Learning Center ›

Additional resources

Break the Glass Habit Brochure
Bottle and Carboy Selection Guide
Plastic Properties Reference Magnet
Plastic Labware Chemical Resistance Wall Poster

Request resources

Footnote:
1. 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)

2. 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

*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.

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

Laboratory Carboys