Both are quartz cells for UV-Vis — the difference is how the sample meets the beam. A standard cuvette holds a fixed volume for one measurement; a flow cell passes sample through continuously. Here is how to choose.
Scuvette manufactures both standard quartz cuvettes and quartz flow cells from Japanese-imported JGS1 fused silica, so both transmit from the deep-UV through the near-IR (roughly 190–2500 nm) with optical-contact, one-piece molding. The difference is not the glass — it is the sample path. A standard quartz cuvette is loaded by pipette and read once; a flow cell has inlet and outlet ports so sample flows through the optical path without being handled between runs.
Use a flow cell when a pump or analyzer delivers the sample — HPLC and FIA detectors, kinetics and any continuous-monitoring setup. Use a standard cuvette for routine single measurements, method development and teaching. The flow cell guide covers setup by cell type.
| Factor | Standard quartz cuvette | Quartz flow cell |
|---|---|---|
| How the sample meets the beam | Fixed volume, loaded by pipette, one measurement | Continuous flow through inlet and outlet ports |
| Typical use | Routine batch absorbance, method development, teaching | HPLC / FIA detectors, kinetics, inline monitoring |
| Path length | Commonly 10 mm; short 0.1–5 mm and long 20–100 mm | 5–100 mm, common 10 mm; short ~2 mm for concentrated |
| Sample volume | ~1.5–3.5 mL (10 mm); micro / sub-micro to ~50 µL | 18 µL – 28 mL |
| Throughput | Sequential, one sample at a time | Continuous, hands-off between runs |
| Setup | Just the spectrophotometer | Pump / peristaltic system + tubing |
| Material | JGS1 fused silica (UV) | JGS1 fused silica (UV); fused or glued |
Both product lines are JGS1 fused silica with optical-contact, one-piece molding. Flow cells span path lengths of about 5–100 mm and volumes of roughly 18 µL – 28 mL, in two-way, four-way and funnel-equipped designs, with PTFE-sealed or open-end construction and fused or glued bonding to match pressure and chemical-compatibility needs. Standard cuvettes cover 10 mm plus short- and long-path and micro/sub-micro geometries. Send us your wavelength range, volume and flow rate and we will match a cell.
A standard cuvette holds a fixed sample volume for a single, discrete measurement — you pipette the sample in, read it, then empty and clean or discard the cell. A flow cell (flow-through cuvette) has inlet and outlet ports so sample flows continuously through the optical path. Scuvette offers both as JGS1 fused-silica cells for UV-Vis work. See the flow cell range and the standard quartz cuvettes.
Use a flow cell when the sample is delivered by a pump or analyzer — HPLC and FIA detectors, kinetics and continuous-monitoring setups, or any process where you do not want to handle the sample by hand between runs. Use a standard cuvette for routine single measurements, method development and teaching, where you load one sample at a time.
Scuvette flow cells are JGS1 fused silica (quartz), the same optical material as its standard quartz cuvettes, so they transmit from the deep-UV through the near-IR (roughly 190–2500 nm). They are offered with fused or glued construction to suit your pressure and chemical-compatibility requirements.
Scuvette flow cells span path lengths from about 5 mm to 100 mm and volumes from roughly 18 µL to 28 mL; 10 mm is the general-purpose standard. Short-path (around 2 mm) flow cells suit concentrated samples and fast exchange at low volume. Standard cuvettes also center on 10 mm, with short-path (0.1–5 mm) and long-path (20–100 mm) variants for concentrated or dilute samples.
Yes. A flow cell needs a pump — typically a peristaltic or syringe pump — to move sample through the inlet and outlet ports at a controlled rate (for example, around 1–25 mL/min on short-path cells). A standard cuvette needs no pump; it sits in the spectrophotometer sample compartment.
No. HPLC and FIA detectors need continuous flow, so you need a flow cell with inlet and outlet ports. A standard open or stoppered cuvette cannot pass sample through the beam. If your work is batch absorbance on a benchtop UV-Vis instrument, a standard quartz cuvette is the right choice. See the flow cell guide for setup details.