Stirring Bars and Rods
Products of various sizes, shapes, and material compositions designed to aid in manual or automatic stirring of laboratory solutions. Includes glass stirring rods, magnetic stir bars, and stir bar retrievers.
What Is a Magnetic Stir Bar?
Magnetic stir bars are stirrers or stirring hotplates used with magnets to mix a liquid or solution by creating a vortex.
A number of factors affect magnetic stir bar efficiency and effectiveness, including its size, shape, and material. Sizes (L x Diameter) range from 2 x 2 mm to 159 x 27 mm and shapes include:
- Polygonal or octagonal magnetic stir bars are the most common shapes; the multiple surfaces add turbulence to the mixing action
- Elliptical or egg-shapped stir bars work especially well with round-bottom flasks
- Wedge-shaped spin bars produce more significant turbulence for dissolving salts or in samples containing sediment
- Spin bars with fins or vanes, designed for smaller vessels, tubes, or cuvettes
- Micro (“flea”) stir bars for mixing extremely small samples
What Kind of Magnet Is Used?
Stir bar magnets are typically made from Alnico, a combination of aluminum and nickel. They may also be made from Samarium cobalt, a rare earth metal that produces the stronger magnetic force needed to mix very viscous substances.
Stir bar magnets are usually encapsulated in white or colored PTFE, hard plastic, or borosilicate glass, and coatings may meet FDA grade or USP requirements. PTFE is durable, inert, and can be autoclaved. Glass-encased cylindrical magnets are useful for high-temperature applications.
How Does It Work?
During the stirring process, integral or removable pivot rings on the stir bar reduce contact with the vessel to help avoid marring plastic surfaces. Some round stir bars have slightly raised ends that create a de facto pivot point, while others have more pronounced round centers that help to keep them in motion. Stir bars may be reusable or disposable.
Magnetic stir bars may be sold individually or in magnetic stir bar kits that include multiple bars in a range of sizes.
Cole-Parmer DWK Life Sciences (Kimble) Stir Rod, Glass, 5 mm dia X 150 mm L, 25/pk
Manufactured with borosilicate glass with rounded annealed ends. Stir rods are highly chemical resistant and withstands temperatures to 400 F (205)C. Autoclavable.
Cole-Parmer DWK Life Sciences (Kimble) Stir Rod, Glass, 6.4 mm dia X 250 mm L, 25/pk
Manufactured with borosilicate glass with rounded annealed ends. Stir rods are highly chemical resistant and withstands temperatures to 400° F (205°)C. Autoclavable.
Electron Microscopy Sciences Micro Stir Bars, 3 x 12.7 mm
Coated with "PTFE" white resin. For stirring test tubes, micro-beakers, and more.
Size: 1/8 x 1/2"
Chemglass Life Sciences Chemglass X-Shaped PTFE Magnetic Stir Bar, 10 x 5 mm, Pack of 100 - For Magnetic Stirrers
Chemglass X-shaped PTFE magnetic stir bars (10 x 5 mm) are designed to create a deep vortex and provide stable stirring in laboratory vessels. Supplied bulk-packed in quantities of 100 (P100), these PTFE-coated stir bars are manufactured with FDA-grade, USP Class VI materials and are suitable for routine mixing on magnetic stirrers.
- 10 x 5 mm (diameter x height)
- PTFE construction, FDA-grade and USP Class VI
- X-shaped design creates a deep vortex and improves stability during stirring
- Bulk packed - 100 per pack (P100)
- Designed for use with magnetic stirrers
Hach Company Stir Bar 17.2 mm x 10.5 mm - Replacement for 5500sc Analyzers
Replacement stir bar for use with 5500sc analyzers. The bar's compact dimensions match the analyzer sample chamber to provide reliable agitation and consistent mixing for routine analysis.
- Dimensions: 17.2 mm x 10.5 mm.
- Designed to provide consistent mixing in small sample chambers.
- Sold as a spare part for laboratory analyzers.
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS) available from the manufacturer.
PATHOLOGY INNOVATIONS The Peters Precision Cryoembedding System 20x20 Deep Well Bar Set includes one 20x20mm Deep Well Bar, which has two 6mm deep wells and two 9mm deep wells, as well as 4 small chucks, two over chuck freezing blocks and 8 dispensing slides.
The Peters Precision Cryoembedding System is a combination of simple techniques and apparatus which allows the user to embed tissues for frozen section with a level of control and predictability that can surpass even paraffin embedding. The 20x20 Deep Well Bar Set includes one 20x20mm Deep Well Bar, which has two 6mm deep wells and two 9mm deep wells, as well as 4 small chucks, two over chuck freezing blocks and 8 dispensing slides. This system was designed by inventor, professor and author of frozen section literature Dr. Stephen Peters to give users more precision and control when doing a high volume of frozen section procedures. This set is made for outfitting labs that process a high volume of frozen sections with average sized specimen, and a great way to get started using the Peters Precision Cryoembedding System which has been adopted by thousands of hospitals globally. Learn how to use the system as well as advanced frozen section technique at pathologyinnovations.com.
Chemglass Life Sciences Stir Bar, Giant, Magnetic, PTFE, Length x Diameter: 57 x 27mm / 2-1/4 x 1-1/16 inches
Stir Bar, Giant, Magnetic, PTFE, Length x Diameter: 57 x 27mm / 2-1/4 x 1-1/16 inches. This heavy duty PTFE stir bar is capable of mixing volumes up to a 50 gallon drum. Perfect for use with carboys up to 12 gallon. The bar will fit into a minimum neck diameter of 32mm. Manufactured with FDA-grade and USP Class VI PTFE.