The answer is yes, however, once a vial has been used, there are many things that need to be addressed that can lead to subsequent performance loss, that may not be obvious to many users:

1. A consistent cleaning regime is needed to ensure that there is no chemical residue in the vial for the next run.
2. As part of the cleaning regime, sonication is usually applied which can lead to micro-abrasion on the glass surfaces leading to delamination and/or micro-fracturing, which creates risk for sample containment. A combination of these pressures on the glass may lead to breakage and subsequent sample loss and damage to the corresponding instrument.

The above concerns are magnified when using non-glass options such as polypropylene, where breakage is less of an issue but is replaced by additional sample absorption, leachable/extraction from previous application.

Should be considered with caution as again these products are not guaranteed to provide consistent performance after one time use, as their performance is further degraded with every piercing of the autosampler needle in combination with either more volatile or caustic sample matrix components. If your sample conc. or sample is limited, this is not a recommended procedure due to the various unknowns based on each user’s variable application of such procedures.

When using barcode stickers on vials in an autosampler, ensure that the vial position in the tray accommodates both the vial and the adhered sticker. Measure the internal diameter of the tray position and compare it to the combined exterior diameter of the barcoded vial and sticker. This prevents issues with the autosampler arm mechanism and needle draw.

The main option is to make sure the correct products are chosen for your application; that way samples don’t need to be re-run. Re-running samples is the most expensive component of analytical testing and starting the samples journey with the incorrect vials, caps, inserts will mean more time, energy, resources to repeat the testing. Our Vial Selector Tool, autosampler compatibility charts, and Agilent vials brochure will help you to make the right decisions saving resources and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Most cap septum are offered pre-slit or standard non pre-slit. The main reason for offering a pre-slit option is ironically due to the improvement in cap design to create a better seal. While this is essential, it can lead to a pressure differential when a large sample volume is withdrawn from the vial, creating a reverse vacuum. This can result in inaccurate sample draws, especially in LC-based applications that typically use larger gauge needles compared to GC-based applications. Designing a slit into the septum reduces this effect and provides an additional guidance for the needle through the septum slit. However, this benefit must be balanced against a small reduction in resealability. We recommend using the pre-slit option when working with a non-volatile sample matrix.