I have a confession:
I <3 aluminum foil and can’t do chemistry without it.
When I first saw researcher friends using it, I was dumbfounded: what’s up with all the aluminum foil in your labs?
I’ve since become a convert: it’s a cheap, clean, impervious to spills, versatile, multitasking material that no lab should be without. Go out and buy a few rolls right now. You’ll save money and frustration after only one use.
Here are only a few reasons why you should have a roll at hand in your chemistry lab:
- Need a smooth, clean, spill-proof surface? Hey, presto! Just roll some out onto your workbench. When you’re done working, cleanup is a snap! Crumple it up, and toss it into the recycling bin. A sheet of aluminum foil won’t let spills touch your bench, is clean, and is a nice smooth surface.
- Weigh boats.
- Temporary container. (mine look exactly like my weigh boats)
- A quick funnel.
- A smooth surface to pour out a material for setting into a sheet.
- A place to rest a stirring rod or magnetic stir bar without contaminating your entire work area.
If you have a roll of aluminum foil, you’ll always have all these tools (and more!) nearby.
A few pro tips:
- Handle your foil with clean gloves – it comes from the factory very clean – keep your grimy fingerprints off.
- Make a few weigh boats when you start an experiment – you never know when having a few handy places to stash a small part will be necessary.
- A caveat: aluminum can be reactive, and will react with oxidizers, strong acids, etc., but usually only when in solution – dry powders (what I usually use it for) are generally safe.
- Aluminum foil has one side that is shinier than the other. This is due to how aluminum foil is manufactured (when it’s doubled over to prevent tearing at later stages).
How Al Foil is made:
Aluminum foil office prank image from wikimedia commons (click thumbnail for full size and more info)
