BioSpec 2 mL polypropylene screw-cap microcentrifuge vials are designed for bead beating, biological sample disruption, molecular biology workflows, and laboratory homogenization applications.

Manufactured from virgin polypropylene, these vials feature straight walls, a sharp conical bottom, and screw caps with integrated o-ring seals for secure sample containment during high-speed homogenization and sample preparation procedures.

This vial geometry is required for use with the BioSpec Mini-Beadbeater-1+ and is also recommended for the Mini-Beadbeater-16, Mini-Beadbeater-24, and Mini-Beadbeater-96 systems. The vials are additionally compatible with many other bead mill homogenizers and laboratory cell disruption systems.

Both sterile and non-sterile options are available to support DNA extraction, RNA isolation, protein recovery, microbiology, genomics, and general laboratory research applications.

For larger sample volumes and high-capacity processing workflows, BioSpec also offers 7 mL polypropylene screw-cap vials. When combined with the appropriate Mini-Beadbeater adapter-16/24 or adapter-96 rack, these vials can be used with the Mini-Beadbeater-16, -24, and -96 systems.

Dry Milling / Cryogenic Grinding Note: Standard polypropylene microvials from BioSpec and other manufacturers are not recommended for dry milling applications using dense steel bead media in high-energy Mini-Beadbeater systems. During dry grinding, steel beads combined with significant air space inside the vial may crack or puncture conventional polypropylene tubes.

No issue exists when using zirconia or glass bead media for dry milling, or when performing wet milling with steel beads where extraction solution minimizes internal air space within the sealed vial.

For demanding dry grinding or cryogenic grinding applications at liquid nitrogen temperatures, BioSpec recommends our stainless steel microvials with silicone rubber stoppers or our reinforced polypropylene XXTuff™ 2 mL microvials.

XXTuff™ reinforced microvials are strengthened in critical stress areas and manufactured using a specialized high-density polypropylene resin. Internal testing demonstrates that XXTuff™ vials are approximately 10 times more resistant to breakage during demanding bead beating and dry grinding workflows.