Pipette Pasteur

Quick Answer: A Pasteur pipette is a simple transfer pipette with a narrow tip, used with a squeeze bulb to move small volumes of liquid drop by drop between containers. It is a transfer tool rather than a measuring one.

Drop-by-Drop Transfer Without Measurement

Much of practical chemistry and biology involves moving liquid in small, uncounted amounts: adding an indicator, drawing off a supernatant, placing a drop on a slide or filling a cuvette. This pipette does it with no more than a squeeze and release. Because nothing is being measured, it can be cheap, simple and, in most forms, disposable.

This listing sits in LabEquip’s plastic labware group, and its earlier description refers to a squeeze bulb. The title itself names neither the material nor the bulb type, and two forms share the name: a glass pipette used with a separate rubber teat, and a one-piece polyethylene transfer pipette with the bulb moulded in. Confirm which is supplied; the disposable Pasteur pipette listing covers the same family.

Plastic transfer pipettes often carry moulded graduations on the stem. These are rough guides only, but for filling a plastic cuvette to the right height, an approximate scale is all that is needed.

Applications

• Adding indicator or reagent drop by drop in test-tube reactions
• Removing supernatant liquid after centrifuging or settling
• Placing a drop of stain or culture on a microscope slide
• Filling cuvettes and small vials without splashing

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Use a fresh pipette for each reagent or sample; one carried from bottle to bottle contaminates both.
• Keep the tip pointing down while liquid is inside, so it does not run into the bulb.
• Discard used pipettes that have held biological material as local rules require, and put glass ones in a sharps container, since their tips break into sharp fragments.

Why Choose LabEquip

Biology and chemistry teachers issue these pipettes by the hundred for class practicals, so they are usually ordered in bulk. LabEquip lists them in its chemistry lab equipment range; confirm the type and quantity through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this pipette accurate enough for measuring volumes?

No. It is designed for transfer. Stem graduations on plastic versions give only an approximate volume, so use a graduated pipette, volumetric pipette or micropipette when the volume affects the result.

Can Pasteur pipettes be reused?

Glass ones can be washed and reused for non-critical work, though the narrow tip is hard to clean. Plastic transfer pipettes are designed for single use, and reusing them risks contamination.

Are plastic transfer pipettes suitable for organic solvents?

Polyethylene resists alcohols and most aqueous solutions, but some solvents, such as chlorinated hydrocarbons, soften it or extract substances from it. Glass pipettes are the safer choice for solvent work.

How do I avoid getting liquid in the bulb?

Squeeze the bulb before placing the tip in the liquid, release slowly, and keep the pipette pointing downward until the liquid is delivered. Never lay a filled pipette on its side.

Are these pipettes sterile?

Sterility depends on how they are packed. Sterile, individually wrapped pipettes are available for microbiology, while bulk-packed pipettes are clean but not sterile. State which you need when ordering.

How should used pipettes be disposed of?

Glass pipettes go into a sharps or broken-glass container. Plastic ones that have held microbial cultures should be disinfected or autoclaved in a biohazard bag before disposal, following the laboratory’s waste rules.

Last Updated: September 2026