General Description of Materials
Each window material is selected for use in spectrophotometer cells based on their physical properties which include light transmission and suitability for cell manufacture. The glass materials are suitable for use in the visible and near IR, the quartz material is suitable for use in the UV, visible and near IR.
How to Choose a Material
The most important consideration is the wavelength at which you will be making your analysis. If you are working in the visible or near IR only a glass material would be the most cost effective. When working in the ultraviolet the quartz material must be used. Each material has characteristics which make it the correct choice for your particular application. Please consult the table below for the specifications for each material.
Material Codes
The material code is the second element of a cuvette's part number. It will always be a letter and it signifies the material that the optical window is made from. The non-optical body of the cell is usually made from a different grade of material and is not suitable for optical use. An example part number is: "1/Q/10". The "Q" in the part number identifies the far UV quartz windows.
| Material Code: G |
Standard Glass |
Material: B270, optical crown glass |
| Specification |
Value |
Units |
| Refractive Index |
1.5251 |
ne at 546nm |
|
1.5230 |
nd at 588nm |
| Density |
2.55 |
g/cm3 |
| Modulus of elasticity |
E=71.5 |
103 N/mm2 |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion |
95 x 10-7/K |
temperature range = 20-300oC |
| Useable optical range |
334 to 2500 |
nanometers |
| Material Code: SOG |
Special Optical Glass |
Material: K5 |
| Specification |
Value |
Units |
| Refractive Index |
1.52458 |
ne at 546nm |
|
1.52249 |
nd at 588nm |
| Density |
2.59 |
g/cm3 |
| Modulus of elasticity |
E=71.0 |
103 N/mm2 |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion |
96 x 10-7/K |
temperature range = 20-300oC |
| Useable optical range |
320 to 2500 |
nanometers |
| Material Code: PX |
Pyrex® |
Material: Borosilicate |
| Specification |
Value |
Units |
| Refractive Index |
1.473 |
nd at 587.6nm |
| Density |
2.23 |
g/cm3 |
| Modulus of elasticity |
E=64 |
103 N/mm2 |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion |
33 x 10-7/K |
temperature range = 20-300oC |
| Useable optical range |
320 to 2500 |
nanometers |
| Material Code: Q |
Spectrosil® |
Material: Far UV Quartz |
| Specification |
Value |
Units |
| Refractive Index |
1.551 |
200nm |
|
1.506 |
254nm |
|
1.488 |
300nm |
|
1.470 |
400nm |
|
1.458 |
600nm |
|
1.450 |
1000nm |
| Density |
2.2 |
g/cm3 |
| Modulus of elasticity |
73x106 |
Kpa |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion |
5.3 x 10-7/K |
temperature range = 0-1000oC |
| Useable optical range |
170 to 2700 |
nanometers |
