What factors can affect the service life of pipette tips?

Quality of Materials: High-quality polypropylene (PP) materials have good toughness, chemical resistance, and stability. They can withstand multiple uses and contact with different liquids, resulting in a relatively long service life. In contrast, materials of poor quality may deform or break after just a few uses.
Impact of Additives: Some additives such as plasticizers and stabilizers added during the production of pipette tips may affect the performance of the materials. If the quality of the additives is poor or the content is unreasonable, it may cause the tips to age and become brittle prematurely during use.

Properties of the Liquid Aspirated: Aspirating corrosive liquids such as strong acids, strong alkalis, and organic solvents may erode the material of the pipette tips and shorten their service life. High-viscosity liquids will increase the resistance during aspiration and dispensing, putting greater pressure on the tips and making them prone to deformation.
Operation Force: If excessive force is used when installing or removing the tips, the connection between the tip and the pipette may be damaged, resulting in cracks or looseness, which will affect the sealing and service life. When aspirating and dispensing liquids, excessive pressing or releasing of the pipette button will subject the tips to excessive pressure, leading to deformation or breakage.
Number of Reuses: Even for reusable tips, their accuracy and performance will gradually decline with an increase in the number of uses. Multiple sterilization treatments at high temperatures will also cause the tip materials to age and become brittle, reducing their service life.

Storage Conditions: Pipette tips should be stored in a dry, clean, and cool environment. If the storage environment is humid, it is easy for microorganisms to grow on the surface of the tips, affecting their performance. Long-term exposure to high temperatures or direct sunlight will accelerate the aging of the tip materials.
Chemical Substances in the Environment: Chemical substances present in the storage environment, such as volatile organic solvents, acid-base gases, etc., may react chemically with the tip materials, degrading the performance of the tips.

Compatibility with the Pipette: If the pipette and the tip are not compatible, for example, if the size of the pipette’s clamping opening is inappropriate, the tip will not be firmly installed or will be subjected to abnormal stress during use, making it prone to damage.
Performance of the Pipette: Poor performance of the pipette itself, such as low precision and poor sealing, may cause the tip to be subjected to abnormal pressure or suction during use, affecting its service life.