Tiles

Quick Answer: The Tiles listing covers plain, flat laboratory tiles, usually of glazed ceramic or porcelain, used as a clean, hard and easily washed working surface on the bench. Laboratory tiles are most often placed under a titration flask to show the end-point colour, and used for cutting, mixing and observing small samples.

A Simple Surface With Several Jobs

In titration, the change at the end point is often a single drop from colourless to faint pink, or from yellow to orange. A white tile under the conical flask gives a uniform background, so the first permanent tint is seen and the burette is closed on the right drop. The same tile serves as a mixing or observation surface for colour tests, and as a place to rest a stirring rod or spatula without contaminating the bench.

Biology teachers use tiles as cutting boards: a glazed tile gives a firm surface for slicing thin sections of potato, onion or stems with a scalpel, and it can be washed and disinfected afterwards, unlike a wooden board. In geology, an unglazed porcelain tile is used differently, as a streak plate on which a mineral is rubbed to reveal the colour of its powder. The listing does not say whether these tiles are glazed or unglazed, white or coloured, or give their size.

Where many drop-scale tests are needed at once, the spotting plate with moulded cavities is the more convenient choice.

Care & Handling

• Wash with detergent and water after each use and rinse; a clean tile is essential for judging faint colours.
• Disinfect tiles used for cutting biological material before returning them to general use.
• Avoid placing very hot crucibles or glassware straight onto the tile, since a sudden hot spot can crack ceramic.
• Discard chipped tiles; sharp edges cut hands and chips trap residues.

Common Uses

• Placing under the conical flask during acid-base and redox titrations so the end point is seen clearly.
• Cutting plant tissue, potato cylinders and onion epidermis with a scalpel in biology practicals.
• Streak tests on minerals, where an unglazed tile is supplied.
• Observing colour changes and precipitates in small quantities.

Specifications

Why Choose LabEquip

Tiles are bought in class quantities by schools setting up titration and biology benches, and by college labs replacing worn ones. LabEquip lists these tiles in the General Lab Products range; state the size and finish you need on the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use a white tile during titration?

A white tile under the flask gives an even, bright background, so the first lasting colour change at the end point is easy to see. This helps the student stop adding titrant from the burette at the right drop.

Can a tile be used as a cutting board for biology practicals?

Yes, a glazed tile is a common cutting surface for slicing plant tissue and potato with a scalpel. It is firm, can be disinfected after use and does not absorb juices as wood does. Expect the blade to dull faster than on a plastic board.

What is a streak tile?

A streak tile is an unglazed porcelain tile used in geology. Rubbing a mineral across it leaves a line of powder whose colour, the streak, helps identify the mineral. A glazed tile cannot be used for this test.

Are these tiles suitable as heatproof mats?

Not for burners. A ceramic tile may crack if a very hot object is placed on it suddenly. Use a heat-resistant mat under Bunsen burners, and tongs with a pipe-clay triangle for hot crucibles.

Which sizes and finishes are available?

The listing does not specify them. Glazed white tiles suit titration and cutting, while unglazed tiles are needed for streak tests, so mention your intended use and the matching tile can be confirmed.

How should tiles be cleaned after chemical work?

Wash with detergent and warm water, rinse and let them dry. Remove indicator or iodine stains promptly; a little dilute acid removes mineral deposits from glazed tiles.

Last Updated: September 2026