Spatulas
Spatulas are hand-held laboratory implements available in a range of sizes and styles designed for breaking up, scraping off, picking up and transferring chemical solids, powders or granules or other materials out of storage flasks or bottles into other containers such as weighing dishes.
Laboratory spatulas are made from plastics such as polystyrene, polypropylene, nylon or HDPE, or from durable, corrosion-resistant metals such as nickel, aluminium or stainless steel. Spatulas may often be partially or fully coated with PTFE for enhanced chemical resistance.
Laboratory spatulas are manufactured with handles of varying lengths, with one or both tips fashioned into tooled ends of various shapes or designs depending upon the intended application:
- Nuffield pattern - a classic, popular spatula comprising a raised centre section with one bent flat end and a scoop at the other
- Chattaway spatula – these are also very common types, comprising a thin central barrel with two flat bladed ends, one rounded and the other one square. The rounded end is also bent, designed to scrape solids from the sides of bottles or flasks
- Double-ended spatulas, with one flat end and the other fashioned into a simple spoon for liquids. Either end may sometimes be bent sideways for easier access to the corners and walls of storage bottles
- Grooved ‘trulla’ style spatulas
- Hollow ‘pick’ style spatulas
- Microspatulas, microspoons and fine NMR spatulas for handling milligram quantities
- Electronic spatulas with integral digital weighing capability, or vibrating models which give the user extra fine control over the transfer of materials