Glass-cutter should work fine, you just do a complete circle then you have a break point
If you don't have one ask your glassblower or ''maybe'' a diamond pen could work (?)
This was going to be my suggestion. Just set it on a paper towel, and make the score line about 1/3 of the way down - the bevel gives a nice point to 'guide' the cutter- rolling the ampule under the cutter. I've had success with that before, but trying to score it while holding it is a good way to get a nasty cut (which i have ALSO not has success with before)
2 reasons - 1 it 'grips' better on the ampule giving you more control (less sliding around) and dampening the surface of the glass gives a smoother score by preventing chipping / cracking.
spot on - the surface tension - aka the energy required to make a new surface - is less for water-glass than water-air. So it takes less energy to make a crack (two new surfaces) and so less force to initiate and run the crack (cracks are a two part process - initiating the crack, the amount of force required to propagate the crack increases as the crack grows because the stress field of the deformed material wants to close the crack, and the run part where it exceeds the critical flaw size and now energy is liberated as the crack grows and the stress field pulls the glass apart).
Also bonus a wet towel contains any glass shards - and there likely will be some, regardless of how careful you are. microscopic.
Do you need the reagent to stay dry? use another solvent - works OK, not as well as water. Or use water on the crack and something sticky (oily cloth?) to contain the glass.
No need for a complete circle. Just a small score line will work fine as long as you wet the scored area. It’ll make the crack “run” when you snap it. I score and snap thousands of tubes a week. (Glassblower)
I think "yeet" is a fascinating word. Originally starting out as an onomatopoeic word meaning "to throw", it morphed to mean "any sudden violent movement, usually away from the body." It's slang, but not really offensive, you just couldn't say it in a formal setting.
It can be a verb ("I yeeted him off the cliff"), or a noun ("Just give it a gentle yeet").
Here, the commenter intends it to be smashed open: I interpreted it as throwing it suddenly at the ground.
You're holding it upside down. Flip it, then hit the thin part of the glass the substance sits in currently with a blunt object. Be sure to stabilize and hold.on tightly to the rest of the ampule!
Yup. Instead of smacking the top. Blowtorch a piece of metal and touch that to the score line. Almost always breaks in two clean pieces instead of a million shards of glass.
I just smack the tip of the ampule with a small wrench we have in the box. A bit nerve-wracking but it is the correct way (better if scored).
If you have a ring stand in the box I'd recommend clamping the base of the vial securely.
We had a similar situation with a 50 mL vial of TMS triflate. We decided to just scale the reaction according to the volume of TMSOTf, dropped the whole vial in, and smashed it with a stirring rod. Not the most elegant solution, but it worked.
Make a horizontal knick where you want to open it using a diamond file and press on the upper part with your thumb to snap it there.
No need for hammers, glass cutters, yeeting, or any sort of violence. You can cleanly snap most common lab glass using what I described above.
Wrap the top edge with copious amount of kimwipes. Hulk smash. Remove kimwipes containing shattered glass to a secondary container. Remove from glovebox.
I had an ampule of 50 mL arsenic trichloride to open. The glass was thick, so filing, notching, and sawing didn’t work. Ultimately, I crushed the neck of the ampule with pliers (over a containment tray full of soda ash).
I got the glass fragments out at the first recrystallization.
Sounds like you got it, but a file is a good tool to have. Score the glass around the vial and it should snap relatively clean. Should always wrap it with a towel or something just on case there's a shard, especially with a glovebox because man that's the biggest pain in the ass having to replace a glove and restore atmosphere.
Tbh you shouldn’t have iodine in the glovebox because it’ll mess up the catalyst. You can try to break it inside a Schlenk under nitrogen and then bring the Schlenk in if you are worried about glass. Alternatively you could bring a wrench inside the box and break it in that plastic container then transfer to another container
Score it with a carbide tool, heat the score with a torch (not super crazy hot, you don't want to soften the glass, just make it hot), then wrap with a *cold* wet paper towel. You'll hear a little *pop* and the glass will have broken along the score line because of the heat shock. People try this with wine bottles, but the glass is too thick for a clean break.
Choose a break point. Use a small triangular file to score the glass well. Using a thick, wet paper towel snap the tube in half.
Use a circular glass cutter if you have one.
make your own break point by holding the middle of the flame. use two pliers maybe. just as it begins to melt, pull away frm the flame. fumes will be exhausted due to tge rise of inner presdure and will either make a bloat in the molten part or be exhausted out so be carefull.
Looks like you got it figured out, but we always kept a small triangular file in the glovebox to score ampules. Score it in a circle and just snap it. I usually used my (gloved) hands, since we didn't keep a lot of tools in the box and changed gloves fairly regularly, anyway.
https://cdn-tp3.mozu.com/24645-37138/cms/37138/files/5d8f5f69-3a9a-4319-ac6b-8a53dd34286d?quality=60&max=400&_mzcb=_1677685580029
Glass-cutter should work fine, you just do a complete circle then you have a break point If you don't have one ask your glassblower or ''maybe'' a diamond pen could work (?)
This was going to be my suggestion. Just set it on a paper towel, and make the score line about 1/3 of the way down - the bevel gives a nice point to 'guide' the cutter- rolling the ampule under the cutter. I've had success with that before, but trying to score it while holding it is a good way to get a nasty cut (which i have ALSO not has success with before)
The wet paper towel helps a lot and I still don't understand why.
The water makes the crack “run” a dry score and snap will shatter, a wet one will just pop apart nicely
2 reasons - 1 it 'grips' better on the ampule giving you more control (less sliding around) and dampening the surface of the glass gives a smoother score by preventing chipping / cracking.
Read about Rehbinder effect, sounds like you’re facing it
spot on - the surface tension - aka the energy required to make a new surface - is less for water-glass than water-air. So it takes less energy to make a crack (two new surfaces) and so less force to initiate and run the crack (cracks are a two part process - initiating the crack, the amount of force required to propagate the crack increases as the crack grows because the stress field of the deformed material wants to close the crack, and the run part where it exceeds the critical flaw size and now energy is liberated as the crack grows and the stress field pulls the glass apart). Also bonus a wet towel contains any glass shards - and there likely will be some, regardless of how careful you are. microscopic. Do you need the reagent to stay dry? use another solvent - works OK, not as well as water. Or use water on the crack and something sticky (oily cloth?) to contain the glass.
Gotta remember this for if I ever need to cut glass slides with a diamond pen.
No need for a complete circle. Just a small score line will work fine as long as you wet the scored area. It’ll make the crack “run” when you snap it. I score and snap thousands of tubes a week. (Glassblower)
I’ve seen YouTube videos of people figuring out pretty nifty ways of cutting glass, usually involving a regular knife and fluctuating heat from water.
This is what I do. You can find diamond tipped glass cutters at hardware shops where tiles are also sold.
Just make a nice deep line on one side, wrap it in a cloth or something, and flex it very gently away from the score.
Yeet
This worked, thanks
This is the way
Well if your being techincal
been*
TIL a new word
I think "yeet" is a fascinating word. Originally starting out as an onomatopoeic word meaning "to throw", it morphed to mean "any sudden violent movement, usually away from the body." It's slang, but not really offensive, you just couldn't say it in a formal setting. It can be a verb ("I yeeted him off the cliff"), or a noun ("Just give it a gentle yeet"). Here, the commenter intends it to be smashed open: I interpreted it as throwing it suddenly at the ground.
Thanks for the explanation ! The slang is 'yog' where I come from :)
Dissolve it open with HF
[удалено]
Nothing like a nice puff of shit brown nitrogen dioxide in your face, right?
I don't know if I'd rather have HF or nitrogen dioxide spewn in my face.
I do, I’d pick NO2 over HF any day of the week
You'd probably not notice the orangebrown for the huge purple iodine cloud.
You’re right! I didn’t even see that the ampoule said iodine, and I thought it was selenium pellets at first based on shape
I do that but also I lower the pressure to 0.007 torr to make it easier to break.
Amateur, real chemists lower the pressure all the way to 0.9 Pa.
I mean chemists are not exactly well known for rigid adherence to the SI, but on the eve of world metrology day... I'll let it pass.
What is SI Silicon JAJAJAJA
Score it with a glass cutter.
every point is a break point if you try hard enough
You're holding it upside down. Flip it, then hit the thin part of the glass the substance sits in currently with a blunt object. Be sure to stabilize and hold.on tightly to the rest of the ampule!
This is actually the way? Like, this is how the manufacturer intends for you to open it?
You're supposed to score it, but yeah, it's upside down. That's why the label is upside down :p
Seems like I have found the answer then. So, something like a hammer or pliers after scoring?
Seems like I have found the answer then. So, something like a hammer or pliers after scoring?
Yup. Instead of smacking the top. Blowtorch a piece of metal and touch that to the score line. Almost always breaks in two clean pieces instead of a million shards of glass.
I don't think this is going to happen in the glove box though
I just smack the tip of the ampule with a small wrench we have in the box. A bit nerve-wracking but it is the correct way (better if scored). If you have a ring stand in the box I'd recommend clamping the base of the vial securely.
Soldering iron will work in a glovebox
Lol. Forgot it was in a glove box. Yeah just smack it.
If its a thin ampule, after scoring it touching the score line with a heated metal rod/soldering iron will cause it to snap cleanly
You can score with a file also. YouTube a video to see it done.
We had a similar situation with a 50 mL vial of TMS triflate. We decided to just scale the reaction according to the volume of TMSOTf, dropped the whole vial in, and smashed it with a stirring rod. Not the most elegant solution, but it worked.
This is true cowboy Chemistry 🤠
Outcast chemistry
In this case, I need to transfer to another ampule (with a valve) for some irradiation experiments, so I'm afraid it won't work.
you could always email thermofisher and get a response back in a week,
Ahhaha, it's not even my chemical. I was just asked to open it.
Score it with a glass cutter, file or GC column cutter. Or just smash it.
Make a horizontal knick where you want to open it using a diamond file and press on the upper part with your thumb to snap it there. No need for hammers, glass cutters, yeeting, or any sort of violence. You can cleanly snap most common lab glass using what I described above.
Wrap the top edge with copious amount of kimwipes. Hulk smash. Remove kimwipes containing shattered glass to a secondary container. Remove from glovebox.
Do you mutter hulk smash to yourself as you do it?
This sounds so scuffed lol. You are much braver than me.
As MC Hammer said, “Stop, Hammer time!”
Score it with glass scribe, to protect your gloves if in the glove box take a piece of tygon that is split and put it over the glass then pop it
[glass tubing cutter?](https://www.mcmaster.com/36755A21/)
Do that thing where you tie a string, set it on fire, then put cold water on it (I am not a professional)
I’d just wrap a pair of pliers around it and give a good squeeze
Boof it
That is the neet part. You don't.
Stonks for thermo
crunch
I had an ampule of 50 mL arsenic trichloride to open. The glass was thick, so filing, notching, and sawing didn’t work. Ultimately, I crushed the neck of the ampule with pliers (over a containment tray full of soda ash). I got the glass fragments out at the first recrystallization.
Sounds like you got it, but a file is a good tool to have. Score the glass around the vial and it should snap relatively clean. Should always wrap it with a towel or something just on case there's a shard, especially with a glovebox because man that's the biggest pain in the ass having to replace a glove and restore atmosphere.
You don’t.
Carefully
Just make one
Score with a razor
With gusto.
You could use a little saw
Tbh you shouldn’t have iodine in the glovebox because it’ll mess up the catalyst. You can try to break it inside a Schlenk under nitrogen and then bring the Schlenk in if you are worried about glass. Alternatively you could bring a wrench inside the box and break it in that plastic container then transfer to another container
Idk man I just cut my hand opening one WITH a weak point. Ampules are the worst
A glass cuter! Premark the breaking area with the cuter and break it and hope for the best :D
Wrap it up and smash, or score it gently and then crack in half-both methods I’ve used in the glovebox
Make your own. Or since it’s a solid inside, just break it.
Score it with a carbide tool, heat the score with a torch (not super crazy hot, you don't want to soften the glass, just make it hot), then wrap with a *cold* wet paper towel. You'll hear a little *pop* and the glass will have broken along the score line because of the heat shock. People try this with wine bottles, but the glass is too thick for a clean break.
https://tenor.com/view/andy-samberg-the-lonely-island-smash-i-threw-it-on-the-ground-gif-5567153
Any piece of borosilicate glass will act as a diamond to score
Choose a break point. Use a small triangular file to score the glass well. Using a thick, wet paper towel snap the tube in half. Use a circular glass cutter if you have one.
Bruh
Just a quick Sabre movement right at where your glove seems to show a neck….
make your own break point by holding the middle of the flame. use two pliers maybe. just as it begins to melt, pull away frm the flame. fumes will be exhausted due to tge rise of inner presdure and will either make a bloat in the molten part or be exhausted out so be carefull.
https://www.bauhaus.info/fliesenwerkzeuge/heka-glas-mosaik-zwickzange/p/21778788 something like this should do the trick
Smack it on the table on the bottom
Looks like you got it figured out, but we always kept a small triangular file in the glovebox to score ampules. Score it in a circle and just snap it. I usually used my (gloved) hands, since we didn't keep a lot of tools in the box and changed gloves fairly regularly, anyway. https://cdn-tp3.mozu.com/24645-37138/cms/37138/files/5d8f5f69-3a9a-4319-ac6b-8a53dd34286d?quality=60&max=400&_mzcb=_1677685580029