Storage Vial With O-Ring

Quick Answer: The Storage Vial With O-Ring is a small plastic screw-cap vial whose cap carries a flexible O-ring, giving a tighter, more leak-resistant seal than a plain cap; it is used to store, freeze and transport small-volume samples.

What the O-Ring Changes

In an ordinary screw-cap vial the seal depends on plastic pressing against plastic. Tiny irregularities in the rim, temperature changes and repeated opening can leave paths for leakage and evaporation. An O-ring, a flexible ring commonly made of silicone and seated in the cap, is squeezed as the cap is tightened and fills those irregularities, so the seal holds better when the vial is frozen and thawed, laid on its side or shaken in transit.

That is the reason to pick this vial over the plain Storage Vial: aliquots that will spend months in a freezer, samples shipped between sites or sent from the field, and volatile liquids such as alcohol-preserved specimens that would otherwise slowly dry out. For short-term use in an upright rack, the plain vial is simpler.

Vials of this type are generally polypropylene. Silicone stays flexible over a wide temperature range, which is why it is used for seals that go into freezers, but it can swell in non-polar organic solvents, so the O-ring rather than the vial body is often the limiting part for chemical compatibility.

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Before closing, check that the O-ring is seated evenly and is not nicked, flattened or missing.
• Wash the cap with the O-ring removed, if it is removable, so residue does not collect beneath it.
• Let frozen vials reach room temperature before opening, so condensation does not enter the sample.
• Keep a few spare O-rings on hand if your vials use replaceable rings.

Applications

• Long-term freezer storage of aliquots of reagents or biological samples.
• Shipping samples between laboratories or bringing them back from field sites.
• Keeping specimens in ethanol for reference collections without the level dropping.
• Holding retained samples that must not lose water by evaporation before re-testing.

Why Choose LabEquip

Research labs, field ecologists and anyone sending samples by courier choose O-ring vials because a leaking vial can ruin a sample and contaminate the rest of the box. For routine storage in a rack, the plain Storage Vial is quicker to wash; both sit in the Lab Glassware category. Tell LabEquip your sample type and storage temperature when you enquire.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the O-ring do on a storage vial?

The O-ring is a flexible ring in the cap that is compressed when the cap is tightened. It fills small gaps between cap and vial, so the seal resists leaks and evaporation better than a plastic-to-plastic seal, especially after freezing, in transit or when the vial lies on its side.

When is a plain storage vial enough?

For short-term storage upright in a rack, at room temperature or in a refrigerator, a plain screw-cap vial usually suffices. Choose the O-ring version for months of frozen storage, for samples that will be shipped, and for volatile liquids.

Can O-ring vials go into liquid nitrogen?

Only if the vial is rated for it, and preferably in the vapour phase above the liquid. Even with an O-ring, a vial immersed in liquid nitrogen can take in liquid that expands rapidly on warming, so wear a face shield when removing vials from liquid-phase storage.

Which solvents can damage the O-ring?

Silicone O-rings generally tolerate water, aqueous buffers and alcohols but can swell in non-polar solvents such as hexane, toluene and chlorinated solvents. A swollen ring no longer seals properly, so use a different closure for those liquids.

How tight should the cap be?

Firm hand-tight is enough. The O-ring seals by compression, so once the cap meets resistance a little more turn completes the seal; forcing it further distorts the ring and can crack the cap or strip the thread.

Can the vial and cap be autoclaved together?

Polypropylene vials and silicone O-rings are generally autoclavable, but check this item’s rating first. Autoclave with the cap loose so steam can reach inside and pressure can equalise, and tighten it only after cooling.

Last Updated: September 2026