Glass cuvettes are the economical choice for visible-light absorbance and colorimetry. With a standard 10 mm path length and broad visible transmission, they cover the bulk of routine spectrophotometry where UV exposure is not required.
| Material | Optical glass (visible-range) |
|---|---|
| Path length | 10 mm (standard); custom 5–50 mm on request |
| Volume | 3.5 mL (standard 10 mm cell) |
| Windows | 2-way (standard); 4-way available on request |
| Transmission range | Visible approx. 340–2500 nm (not for deep UV) |
| Outer dimensions (H × W × D) | 45 × 12.5 × 12.5 mm (standard) |
| Bottom | Flat (standard); round-bottom available on request |
Glass cuvettes are designed for measurements in the visible spectrum. They are chemically stable for aqueous and many organic samples at room temperature and offer a low-cost alternative to quartz where UV transmission is unnecessary.
Choose glass cuvettes for visible-light work (approx. 340 nm and above) to save cost. Choose quartz (fused silica) when your method requires UV transmission (down to ~200 nm), such as nucleic-acid or protein assays at 260/280 nm, or when working with strong acids/alkalis that attack optical glass.
Rinse promptly after use, especially with coloured or precipitating samples. Use mild detergents or dilute acid; avoid scratching optical windows. Do not use hydrofluoric acid or strong bases, which etch glass.
No. Standard optical glass transmits only from roughly 340 nm upward, so it cannot be used for UV methods such as DNA/protein assays at 260/280 nm. For UV, use quartz (fused silica) cuvettes.
For visible-light-only work, glass is the lower-cost choice. For any UV requirement, or for aggressive chemicals, choose quartz. Match the cuvette material to your instrument's wavelength range.
Visible-range work above about 350 nm where UV is not needed; glass is cheaper than quartz. Quartz vs glass.
Glass blocks below about 350 nm; quartz transmits 190–2500 nm. UV cutoff.
Partly — standard glass reaches into near-IR with more loss than quartz. IR cuvettes.
Yes — 12.5 × 12.5 × 45 mm shared format. Size chart.
Yes — clean like quartz but watch for alkali attack on some glasses. Cleaning protocol.