The Technical Vault
By SOSCleanroom
WHEATON 986546
20 mL
Borosilicate Glass
22-400 Thread
White Urea Cap
PE Cone Liner
28 x 61 mm Capped
Non-Sterile
Not Autoclavable
500/Case
WHEATON 986546: glass, closure, and polyethylene cone selection
WHEATON® 986546 is a 20 mL clear borosilicate glass liquid scintillation vial with an attached white urea 22-400 screw cap and a polyethylene cone liner. DWK specifies a 28 mm diameter, 57 mm vial height without cap, and 61 mm total height with cap.
DWK identifies consistent low background counts and high ultraviolet transmission for its scintillation glass-vial family. This exact SKU is non-sterile, not autoclavable, and without a marking spot, with a case quantity of 500 vials with caps.
The key selection attribute is the PE cone liner. Unlike a flat disc or foam liner, the manufacturer's cone design makes wedge-type contact at the top of the container and along the inside diameter of the opening. This construction is described as providing strong torque retention and sealing characteristics; testing is still recommended for the actual leak-seal application.
Operations takeaway: Control SKU 986546, borosilicate glass, 20 mL, 28 x 57 mm uncapped / 28 x 61 mm capped, white urea 22-400 cap attached, PE cone liner, 500/case. Do not interchange PE cone with PE disc, foam, or foil-backed liners. The finished assembly is not autoclavable.
Exact-SKU specifications for RFQs, SOPs, and receiving
- Manufacturer / brand: DWK Life Sciences / WHEATON®
- Catalog number: 986546
- Product: Glass liquid scintillation vial with attached screw cap
- Nominal capacity: 20 mL
- Vial material: Clear borosilicate glass
- Product-family glass description: Converted from Type I borosilicate glass tubing
- Vial outside diameter: 28 mm
- Vial height excluding cap: 57 mm
- Overall height including cap: 61 mm
- Vial / cap finish: 22-400 screw thread
- Cap included: Yes; attached to vial per manufacturer designation
- Closure material and color: White urea
- Liner material: Polyethylene cone
- General liner material: Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), according to DWK technical guidance
- Liner geometry: Cone / wedge-type contact across rim and inside neck diameter
- Marking spot: No
- Supplied sterility: Non-sterile
- Autoclavability: Not autoclavable
- Scintillation background: Manufacturer describes low and consistent background counts
- Optical characteristic: Manufacturer describes high UV transmission
- Primary use: Liquid scintillation counting
- Purchase unit: Case
- Case quantity: 500
- Markings / graduation accuracy: No marking spot; calibrated-volume tolerance not specified
- Certified leakproof / pressure rating: Not established in reviewed product specification
- Numerical background rate / UV transmission: Not established in reviewed SKU information
- Specific counter compatibility list: Not established; confirm instrument requirements
- Inner tray count, shipping weight, country of origin: Not confirmed in exact-SKU product record
Documentation boundary: General liner and glass technical information is not a lot-specific certificate or substitute for product-specific qualifications. Use the exact current DWK SKU record for the assembled product's sterility and thermal-processing restrictions.
Polyethylene cone liner: construction, wedge seal, and torque retention
DWK's Closure Liner Guide describes its polyethylene cone (PE cone) as manufactured from low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The cone geometry forms a wedge-type seal contacting both the top of a container and the inside diameter of its neck. This geometry differs from a flat PE disc positioned against the top of the container opening.
DWK describes the cone material as stress-crack resistant with superior torque retention and excellent sealing characteristics. Its liquid scintillation vial guidance specifically calls out the combination of urea caps with PE cone liners for these features.
| Liner characteristic | Manufacturer-supported interpretation |
|---|
| Material | Polyethylene; DWK's general guide identifies LDPE |
| Geometry | Cone-shaped / wedge-type seal |
| Contact surfaces | Container top and inside neck diameter |
| Torque retention | Described as superior; no numeric retention value provided for 986546 |
| Seal performance | Described as excellent; manufacturer recommends leak-seal testing |
| PTFE facing | Not specified; the named liner is polyethylene cone |
| Certifications | No SKU-specific leak rate, universal chemical-resistance rating, or food-contact certificate confirmed |
The wedge arrangement can be useful where a laboratory prefers this closure geometry, but it does not justify claiming a measured seal force, a precise cap torque, hermetic containment, or resistance to all reagents. The cap, cone, and neck finish must be evaluated as a combined system.
Leak-seal qualification: DWK recommends testing PE cone liners for the intended leak-seal application. Superior torque retention and excellent sealing characteristics are design descriptions, not a certified leakproof, vapor-tight, pressure-rated, or inverted-transport guarantee.
PE cone versus PE disc, PE foam, and metal foil liners
The term polyethylene liner does not by itself define the sealing construction. WHEATON offers several materially different closure options within the 20 mL glass scintillation-vial range.
| Liner | Construction / distinction | WHEATON SKU |
|---|
| PE cone | LDPE wedge-type contact at top and inside neck | 986546 |
| PE disc | Flat polyethylene liner; not a cone | 986548 |
| Foamed PE | Compressible PE foam between solid PE layers | 986540 |
| Metal foil / cork | Different backing and cap specification | 986542 |
| Metal foil / pulp | Foil bonded to pulp; differs from foil/cork | 986541 |
The PE cone is not a PTFE-faced liner. Do not assign PTFE chemical inertness, sterilization tolerance, or unrelated liner data to WHEATON 986546.
Chemical compatibility: glass, urea cap, and LDPE cone
WHEATON 986546 contains three distinct material components: the borosilicate glass vial, white urea screw cap, and polyethylene cone liner. Selection must account for potential liquid contact, solvent vapor, condensation, temperature, and the actual duration of exposure.
DWK's general materials guidance describes useful chemical resistance for borosilicate glass but does not assign 986546 a universal chemical rating. Polyethylene resistance depends on the exact reagent and conditions. In particular, the presence of a cone-shaped seal should not be used to infer unlimited compatibility with all organic scintillation cocktails.
| Exposure type | Qualification checkpoint |
|---|
| Water-based buffers and samples | Verify pH, concentration, sample recovery, and PE cone suitability |
| Organic scintillation cocktails | Evaluate all cocktail solvents and contact with glass, urea, and LDPE |
| Volatile solvent vapors | Check liner exposure, evaporation controls, closure integrity, ventilation |
| Strong acids or alkalis | Assess each material; aggressive chemicals may attack glass or polymers |
| Sensitive analytical samples | Assess sample recovery, background contribution, and potential extractables |
| Cleaning reagents | Use a method compatible with glass, cap, liner, and previous contamination |
Do not assume universal solvent compatibility: This is a compatibility-assessment framework, not a verified list of approved reagents. Use the actual cocktail safety data sheet, manufacturer guidance, and laboratory testing when material exposure could affect safety, sealing, or analytical results.
Liquid scintillation counting: background, UV transmission, and method controls
Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) is used to measure activity in appropriate radioactive samples. A suitable sample is combined with a scintillation cocktail, and radiation energy can produce light that is detected by the liquid scintillation counter. The vial, cocktail, sample matrix, detector, and analytical settings collectively determine the result.
DWK describes the WHEATON glass scintillation family as providing low, consistent background counts and high UV transmission. Historical WHEATON technical literature also refers to low-potassium borosilicate glass; however, the reviewed current SKU specification does not provide exact potassium content, background counts per minute, or a numerical optical transmission curve.
- Method background: Use blanks and background measurement procedures specified by the laboratory.
- Optical behavior: High UV transmission is a qualitative manufacturer description, not a percent transmission guarantee.
- Counting efficiency: Depends on the radionuclide, cocktail, sample conditions, counter, and method calibration.
- Instrument geometry: Verify the glass vial and included cap within the sample holder or carousel.
- Working volume: Set the sample/cocktail ratio and fill amount through the analytical method.
- Quality control: Apply standards, blanks, quench corrections, and performance checks as needed.
Performance boundary: WHEATON 986546 is a sample container, not a calibrated radiation-measuring instrument. No isotope-specific detection efficiency, minimum detectable activity, universal counter fit, or numerical background limit has been verified for this exact SKU.
Borosilicate glass properties and historical WHEATON material references
The manufacturer specifies borosilicate glass for 986546, within a family described as converted from Type I borosilicate glass tubing. Older WHEATON vial literature describes its glass scintillation products using WHEATON 180 low-potassium borosilicate and historical USP Type I / ASTM E438 Type I, Class A material references. These descriptions are not current lot-specific certificates.
Low potassium is relevant because naturally occurring potassium includes potassium-40, which can contribute to background in certain counting systems. That does not mean the vial is radiation-free or that all counters will show the same background.
DWK's general glass guidance discusses the chemical durability of borosilicate materials. Certain aggressive reagents, including hydrofluoric acid and strong alkaline solutions, may attack glass. Do not assign unrelated 3.3-expansion glass temperature ratings or precise thermal expansion values to this complete vial assembly.
Material control: A Type I glass-family reference is not a sterile certificate, a specific purity assay, a guaranteed UV spectrum, or approval to autoclave a finished assembly with a urea cap and PE liner. Request product and lot documentation when formal qualification is needed.
28 mm diameter, 57 mm vial height, and 61 mm capped height
The 986546 manufacturer's dimensional distinction matters when matching the complete assembly to a counting instrument or storage rack. The 57 mm height is for the glass vial without the cap; 61 mm includes the attached cap.
| Attribute | Value / meaning |
|---|
| Nominal capacity | 20 mL; not a calibrated or recommended working fill |
| Vial diameter | 28 mm; important for rack/carousel fit |
| Uncapped height | 57 mm; glass-vial-only dimension |
| Capped height | 61 mm; overall height with specified cap |
| Thread finish | 22-400; do not substitute 24-400 |
| Marking spot | None; use a method-compatible identification system |
Instrument-fit checkpoint: Nominal 20 mL capacity and the 28 x 61 mm assembled dimensions do not guarantee compatibility with every liquid scintillation counter. Verify the counter manufacturer's allowed vial, cap profile, and carrier configuration.
Related WHEATON liquid scintillation vial SKUs
These manufacturer catalog numbers share selected features but vary by liner shape, cap material, packaging arrangement, or vial material. They should not be treated as automatically interchangeable.
| SKU | Material / cap / liner | Key distinction |
|---|
| 986546 | Glass / white urea / PE cone | 22-400 cap attached |
| 986548 | Glass / white urea / PE disc | Flat liner, 22-400 cap attached |
| 986542 | Glass / white urea / metal foil-cork | Different liner, 22-400 cap attached |
| 986541 | Glass / white PP / metal foil-pulp | Different cap and liner |
| 986540 | Glass / white PP / foamed PE | Different cap and liner |
| 986586 | Glass / urea / PE cone | 22-400 caps packed separately |
| 986532 | Glass / no cap | 22-400 vial only |
| 986706 | HDPE / urea / PE cone | Plastic vial, not clear glass |
Procurement distinction: 986546 is the attached-cap PE cone glass SKU. 986586 specifies the same named glass/cap/liner configuration with caps packaged separately. The manufacturer lists 500 per case for both, but the cap-packing arrangement is not identical.
Non-sterile and not autoclavable: explicit 986546 limitations
DWK expressly specifies "Non-sterile" and "Not Autoclavable" for WHEATON 986546. These SKU-specific restrictions are more directly applicable than general descriptions of borosilicate glass, LDPE liners, or another product's thermal properties.
The complete assembly includes a urea cap and a PE cone. Do not assign a 121°C steam cycle, dry-heat sterilization method, microwave qualification, or sterile-ready claim to the finished product. No SKU-specific validated sterilization process has been established.
- Supplied sterile: No; manufacturer explicitly lists non-sterile.
- Autoclavable: No; manufacturer explicitly lists not autoclavable.
- Generic glass guidance: Does not qualify the assembled cap-and-liner product.
- Potential alternate processing: Seek written manufacturer confirmation and qualify any proposed procedure.
- Sterile applications: Select a separately documented, appropriate alternative when required.
Do not autoclave WHEATON 986546. General technical statements about the thermal properties of some glass or plastic liners do not override the manufacturer's exact-SKU designation.
Cap engagement, sample containment, and vapor-management limits
The PE cone design can help create a useful seal through contact with multiple parts of the container opening, but actual performance depends on the condition of the glass neck, cap threads, cone liner, sample chemistry, operating temperature, and closure application method.
- Inspect glass threads, cap threads, and the cone for defects or residue.
- Match the manufacturer-specified 22-400 thread; 24-400 is not interchangeable.
- Use an approved cap application procedure; no validated numerical torque was established.
- Do not assume the seal prevents all evaporation or solvent vapor escape.
- Assess containment when handling volatile, flammable, hazardous, or radioactive mixtures.
- Use appropriate ventilation, secondary containment, and safety procedures.
- Do not use ordinary scintillation vial packaging for regulated transport of hazardous contents.
Recommended laboratory preparation and QC checklist
- Verify the purchase: Confirm WHEATON 986546, 500/case, with attached white urea 22-400 PE-cone caps.
- Inspect before use: Check the glass, neck, cap, and cone liner for damage.
- Check instrument fit: Verify 28 mm diameter and 61 mm assembled height.
- Evaluate material exposure: Assess sample and scintillation cocktail compatibility with glass, urea, and LDPE.
- Use method-defined volumes: Follow the sample/cocktail ratio and required headspace.
- Apply closure correctly: Follow laboratory procedures, and test the seal if the application requires a leakage standard.
- Label the sample: No marking spot is supplied; choose a method-compatible identification system.
- Perform analytical QC: Run appropriate standards, blanks, background and quench controls.
- Follow safety rules: Observe chemical, radiological, ventilation, and waste requirements.
- Do not autoclave: SKU 986546 is explicitly not autoclavable.
- Document traceability: Retain required receiving, lot, instrument and sample information.
Controlled-laboratory and cleanroom qualification
WHEATON 986546 can be evaluated for suitable analytical environments, but the manufacturer explicitly describes the product as non-sterile. The reviewed exact-SKU information does not establish a product-specific ISO 14644 class, certified cleanroom packaging, validated endotoxin limit, DNase/RNase-free claim, or particle-release specification.
For controlled use, verify the facility's material-introduction requirements, vial cleanliness, sample handling, cap integrity, and traceability. A manufacturer reference to Type I borosilicate glass or low scintillation background does not establish qualification for aseptic or sterile compounding work.
Qualification boundary: Use product-specific documentation and facility procedures for controlled environments; do not infer sterile or ISO-classified presentation from the glass material alone.
Cleaning, inspection, storage, and reuse
DWK's general glassware guidance recommends appropriate cleaning, thorough rinsing, avoiding abrasive tools, and checking glass for chips, cracks, and scratches. The intended procedure must also consider the urea cap and polyethylene cone liner, which may have different cleaning and solvent limitations than borosilicate glass.
- Determine whether the analytical method permits reuse or requires disposal.
- Assess any chemical, biological, or radioactive contamination before handling.
- Use a cleaning method compatible with the glass and closure materials.
- Avoid abrasive brushes, impacts, and damage to the glass rim and threads.
- Rinse and dry according to the laboratory's requirements.
- Inspect the glass, cap, and cone for damage, distortion, or residue.
- Do not autoclave the assembled product.
- Store safely and maintain identification and required quality records.
Reuse caution: Reused vials are not automatically equivalent to unused vials for low-background scintillation measurements. Apply established cleaning acceptance criteria, background controls, and disposal procedures.
Important limitations and unsupported assumptions
- Not sterile: DWK expressly lists non-sterile.
- Not autoclavable: Do not assign any steam or dry-heat cycle.
- Not PTFE-faced: The specified liner is polyethylene cone; PTFE properties are not established.
- No universal solvent compatibility: Review each cocktail and sample formulation.
- No certified leakproof or vapor-tight seal: DWK recommends leak-seal testing for the intended use.
- No numerical torque-retention value: The manufacturer's claim is qualitative.
- No universal counter compatibility: Verify 28 x 61 mm assembled geometry and the counter's requirements.
- No calibrated 20 mL volume: Capacity is nominal, not a metrology tolerance.
- No marking spot: Use an alternate sample-identification method.
- No numerical background guarantee: Manufacturer low-background statement is qualitative.
- No SKU-specific UV spectral curve: Do not assign a measured transmission percentage.
- No verified current lot certificate: Request formal documentation when needed.
- No confirmed inner packaging breakdown: Do not assert a five-tray configuration without checking.
- No certified radioactive-material shipping container: Ordinary vials and case packaging do not establish transport approval.
Technical FAQs
What is WHEATON 986546?
A clear 20 mL borosilicate glass liquid scintillation vial with an attached white urea 22-400 cap and polyethylene cone liner.
Are caps included?
Yes. DWK lists caps attached to the vials, 500 vial-and-cap units per case.
What material is the cap?
White urea, not polypropylene.
What is the liner made of?
Polyethylene cone; DWK's general liner guide identifies the cone material as LDPE.
How does a cone liner differ from a disc?
The PE cone makes wedge-type contact at both the top and inner diameter of the vial neck. A PE disc is a different liner construction.
Is the cone PTFE-lined?
No PTFE facing is specified. Do not assign PTFE chemical or temperature properties to this PE cone.
Is the seal guaranteed leakproof?
No. DWK describes excellent sealing characteristics but recommends testing for the intended leak-seal application.
What are the vial dimensions?
28 mm diameter; 57 mm tall without cap and 61 mm tall including cap.
Are these vials sterile?
No. DWK expressly lists 986546 as non-sterile.
Can WHEATON 986546 be autoclaved?
No. The exact finished SKU is manufacturer-designated not autoclavable.
Does the vial have a marking spot?
No. Use laboratory-approved sample identification.
How is 986546 different from 986542?
986546 uses a PE cone liner; 986542 uses a metal foil/cork liner. Both use white urea 22-400 caps.
How is 986546 different from 986548?
986546 has a polyethylene cone liner; 986548 has a polyethylene disc liner.
How is 986546 different from 986586?
986546 has caps attached to the vials. 986586 lists 22-400 urea/PE cone caps packaged separately.
Is this vial compatible with every scintillation counter?
Not automatically. Verify the instrument's accepted geometry, cap clearance, and vial materials.
How many vials are in a case?
500 vials with the specified caps and liners.
Manufacturer technical references
All linked references are manufacturer technical-information pages rather than competing shopping pages. General guidance does not override the exact-SKU non-sterile and not autoclavable designations for WHEATON 986546.
For quotations or product questions, email Sales@SOSsupply.com or call (214) 340-8574.
SOSCleanroom can help verify exact WHEATON vial and closure configurations, case quantities, and available manufacturer documentation.
Technical insight: PE cone liners use a wedge-style sealing interface, but scintillation-vial suitability still depends on sample chemistry, laboratory leak testing, instrument geometry, and the entire cap-and-vial assembly.
Last updated: October 27, 2026
© 2026 Specialty Optical Systems, Inc. (dba SOSCleanroom). All rights reserved.
