Block for Conical Tube

Quick Answer: The Block for Conical Tube is a dry bath insert with deep wells shaped for conical-bottom centrifuge tubes; the photo shows a grey block with a flanged base and a small number of large wells, so each tube’s tapered tip sits in full contact with the metal.

Wells Shaped for a Taper

A conical centrifuge tube has a pointed tip, and a straight-drilled well would touch it only around the upper wall, leaving an air pocket beneath the most important part of the sample. A block for conical tube work shapes each well to follow the taper, so the tip, where a cell pellet or a small volume collects, is heated as well as the barrel.

The photo shows a grey block with a wide flange at its base and a handful of large wells in rows, the proportions of a block for 15 mL or 50 mL tubes. Which of those sizes this block takes, and how many wells it has, is not stated in the title, and the two sizes are not interchangeable in one well. The block must also fit the dry bath’s block recess.

Large tubes hold more liquid than microtubes, so they take longer to reach temperature, and allowing extra time before a timed step helps. For storing the same tubes upright on the bench, a conical bottom centrifuge tube rack is listed separately, while the Tube Block covers straight-sided tubes.

Applications

• Warming cell suspensions or media in conical tubes before a culture step
• Heat treatment or lysis of samples in 15 mL or 50 mL tubes
• Thawing and holding reagents supplied in conical tubes at a steady temperature
• Incubating extraction mixtures in larger tubes during DNA or protein work

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Seat each tube fully so its tip reaches the bottom of the well.
• Allow extra time for large volumes to reach block temperature.
• Brush out the wells when cool and dry them before storing the block.

Why Choose LabEquip

Cell culture and molecular labs working in 15 mL and 50 mL tubes buy a conical block so their heater handles those tubes properly. It sits with other dry bath blocks in General Lab Products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use a conical block instead of a flat-bottomed tube block?

A conical block follows the tube’s tapered tip, so the part of the tube where pellets and small volumes collect touches the metal. In a straight well the tip sits in an air pocket and heats slowly.

Does it take 15 mL or 50 mL tubes?

The title does not say, and a well is made for one size only. Tell us which tubes you use so the right block can be supplied.

How long do larger tubes take to warm up?

Longer than microtubes, because they hold more liquid. Pre-warm the block, then check the liquid temperature in a water-filled tube before timing a step.

Can skirted self-standing tubes go in the block?

Skirted tubes have a wider base that may not enter a conical well. Use conical-bottom tubes without skirts in this block.

Will the block fit my dry bath?

Only if it matches the heater’s block recess. Check the recess dimensions or give the heater model before ordering.

How should the wells be cleaned?

When cool, brush them with a mild detergent solution, rinse and dry thoroughly. Moisture left in deep wells can corrode the metal over time.

Last Updated: September 2026