Reagent Bottle, Wide Mouth (Clear Glass)

Quick Answer: A clear glass wide mouth reagent bottle is a transparent glass storage bottle with a broad neck, used for solid chemicals and small specimens that need to be seen as well as reached. The clear body shows the colour and condition of the contents, and the wide opening admits a spatula or scoop.

Seeing the Solid Before You Open It

Solid reagents change in storage just as liquids do. Copper(II) sulfate crystals can lose their blue colour at the surface as they give up water, sodium hydroxide pellets go wet and slumped as they absorb moisture, and iron(II) salts turn from green towards brown on oxidation. A clear glass wide mouth reagent bottle makes these changes visible without opening it, so a technician can tell at a glance whether a solid is still fit for a practical.

Glass has a second advantage over plastic for solids: it does not absorb odours or stains, and it is inert towards most organic compounds. That suits substances such as naphthalene, benzoic acid or iodine crystals, which could interact with plastic or pass slowly into it.

Where a plastic or unspecified-material version is wanted, LabEquip lists the Reagent Bottle, Wide Mouth separately. For liquid reagents, narrow-neck bottles pour more cleanly and evaporate less.

Applications

• Display sets of common salts and elements for identification lessons
• Organic solids such as benzoic acid or naphthalene used in melting point and recrystallisation practicals
• Storing iodine crystals and other solids that would stain or penetrate plastic containers
• Keeping dry specimens where students need to see them without opening the bottle

Care & Handling

• Tap loose solid back down from the neck before closing so crystals are not trapped in the closure.
• Keep hygroscopic solids tightly closed and, where a bottle is opened often, decant a smaller working portion for daily use.
• Carry glass bottles by the body with a hand under the base, not by the neck or lid.
• Store the bottle in a closed cupboard if the solid is light-sensitive, since clear glass gives no protection from light.

Specifications

Why Choose LabEquip

Science departments use clear wide-mouth bottles for reagent displays and for the organic solids handled in college practicals. LabEquip supplies them within its chemistry equipment section; share sizes and the number of bottles needed via the LabEquip contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between this bottle and the plain wide mouth reagent bottle?

This listing specifies clear glass. The plain wide mouth listing does not name a material and may be supplied in other materials such as plastic, so choose this one when you want transparent, glass-bodied storage for solids.

Why store iodine crystals in glass rather than plastic?

Iodine slowly sublimes, and its vapour stains and passes into many plastics. A glass bottle with a well-fitting closure contains it better. Keep the bottle in a cool, closed cupboard.

Can solids that react with glass be stored in it?

Most solid salts are fine in glass. Fluoride salts in damp conditions, and strong alkalis over long periods, can slowly attack glass, so those are often kept in plastic containers instead.

How do I dry out a solid that has absorbed moisture?

Many salts can be dried on a watch glass in a warm oven or a desiccator, but some decompose on heating, and deliquescent solids such as sodium hydroxide cannot be restored this way. Look up the substance before heating it.

Is a wide mouth bottle suitable for liquids?

It can hold liquids, but pouring from a wide neck is harder to control and liquids evaporate faster through the larger opening. A narrow mouth bottle is the usual choice for liquid reagents.

How should the bottle be labelled for a display set?

Label with the chemical name, formula and any hazard pictograms on the side facing the viewer, and record when each sample was added. Replace samples whose colour or appearance changes.

Last Updated: September 2026