The Erlenmeyer Flask, also known as the conical or titration flask, was designed and named after the German chemist Richard August Carl Emil Erlenmeyer.
Erlenmeyer Flasks have a wide, flat bottom and an inverted cylindrical neck. The mouth is rimmed, which aids easy pouring. A rubber stopper can also be added to store liquids. Thanks to their broad range of applications, they are one of the most common types of laboratory glassware in use today.
The Erlenmeyer Flask – Common Uses
Erlenmeyer flasks are available in a wide range of sizes, starting at 50 mL and going up to 1000 mL as standard. If needed, bespoke sizes can be created with the help of a scientific glassblower. The different sizes available make them useful additions to almost any laboratory. Both chemistry and biology will use the Erlenmeyer flask for a number of different functions.
Use in Biology
In both biology and chemistry, the primary function of the Erlenmeyer Flask is to mix liquids. Although a scale of measurement is printed on the side of a flask, due to its uneven sides, flasks are rarely used for measuring purposes.
Flasks are used in biology to formulate microbial cultures. Erlenmeyer flasks used for this purpose often have additional features, such as vented closures to boost gas exchange during cultivation and shaking.
Use in Chemistry
The unique shape of the Erlenmeyer flask, with its angled sides and slim neck, allows liquids to be mixed by swirling without risk of spilling the contents. This ability makes them suitable for titrations by positioning them below a burette.
Erlenmeyer flasks can also be used to perform boiling reactions. Their conical shape means that hot vapour will condense in the neck of the flask, which prevents solvent loss. However, as they are constructed of relatively thin glass, the temperatures they are subjected to have to be carefully controlled, or they may break due to thermal shock.
Summary
No modern-day lab is complete without an Erlenmeyer flask. Their wide range of applications, especially storage, makes them useful for almost all laboratory settings.
If you’d like more details on the Erlenmeyer flask or any other type of scientific glassware, please contact our team.
Ken founded Scientific Glass Services in 1978 and has a wealth of experience developing custom-made scientific glassware, working closely with research laboratories, hospitals and universities. Ken and the team make bespoke laboratory glassware to your requirements or repair valuable broken apparatus, each piece being hand-blown from quality borosilicate glass.