Rocker VF6 Glass Filtration Assembly
| Brand | Rocker |
|---|---|
| Origin | Taiwan |
| Model | VF6 |
| Funnel Capacity | 300 mL |
| Receiving Flask Capacity | 1000 mL |
| Compatible Membrane Diameter | 47 mm |
| Hose Inner Diameter | 8 mm (5/16 in.) |
| Effective Filtration Area | 9.6 cm² |
| Materials | Borosilicate glass (funnel body, base, membrane support plate, receiving flask), Ground-glass membrane support, Silicone stopper (No. 8) |
Overview
The Rocker VF6 Glass Filtration Assembly is a precision-engineered vacuum filtration system designed for routine and high-reproducibility particulate separation in life science, pharmaceutical, environmental, and academic laboratories. Built upon classical dead-end vacuum filtration principles, the VF6 employs a borosilicate glass funnel with integrated ground-glass membrane support to ensure uniform flow distribution and minimal channeling across the 47 mm filter surface. Its 9.6 cm² effective filtration area provides optimal balance between throughput and retention efficiency for suspended solids, microorganisms, and precipitates. The system operates under standard laboratory vacuum sources (typically –0.8 to –0.95 bar), delivering consistent filtration kinetics without compromising membrane integrity or sample integrity—critical for downstream analysis such as sterility testing, extractables profiling, or residue quantification.
Key Features
- Borosilicate glass construction throughout (funnel cup, base, support plate, and 1000 mL receiving flask) ensures chemical resistance to common solvents including alcohols, acetone, dilute acids and bases, and halogenated organics—compliant with ASTM E438 Type I, Class A specifications for laboratory glassware.
- Ground-glass membrane support plate provides stable, flat seating for 47 mm diameter filters—minimizing edge leakage and enhancing retention consistency across pore sizes from 0.1 µm to 5.0 µm.
- No. 8 silicone stopper (USP Class VI certified) offers resilient, low-compression-set sealing under sustained vacuum; compatible with standard 24/40 or 29/32 joint configurations depending on flask neck geometry.
- Optimized funnel-to-flask interface accommodates standard 8 mm (5/16 in.) vacuum tubing, enabling direct connection to Rocker vacuum pumps (e.g., V-100 series) or third-party diaphragm/vacuum manifold systems.
- Modular component design allows individual replacement of funnel, stopper, or flask—supporting long-term cost efficiency and alignment with ISO/IEC 17025 maintenance documentation requirements.
Sample Compatibility & Compliance
The VF6 assembly supports aqueous and organic solvent-based samples within pH 1–12 and temperature ranges up to 120 °C for short-term exposure (e.g., hot filtration). It is routinely employed in USP Sterility Tests, EPA Method 160.1 (suspended solids), and ISO 8573-1 particulate counting workflows. All glass components meet DIN EN ISO 3585 standards for borosilicate 3.3 glass. The silicone stopper conforms to USP Biological Reactivity Tests and ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity requirements. When used with certified low-protein-binding membranes (e.g., PVDF or PTFE), the system supports GLP-compliant sample preparation for HPLC or LC-MS analysis.
Software & Data Management
As a manually operated, non-electronic filtration platform, the VF6 requires no embedded firmware or software. However, its standardized dimensions and material traceability (batch-coded glassware per ASTM E2036) enable full integration into electronic lab notebook (ELN) systems such as LabArchives or Benchling. Users may log filtration parameters—including membrane lot number, vacuum pressure (via external gauge), filtration time, and filtrate volume—within audit-trail-enabled entries compliant with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 when deployed in regulated QC environments.
Applications
- Sterile filtration of culture media, buffers, and injectables using 0.22 µm membranes in pre-sterilization validation protocols.
- Particulate removal from HPLC mobile phases and spectroscopic reagents to prevent column clogging and detector fouling.
- Microbial recovery from water samples (e.g., drinking water, wastewater effluent) per ISO 9308-1 and APHA Standard Methods 9222B.
- Clarification of cell lysates and antibody-containing supernatants prior to centrifugal ultrafiltration or chromatography.
- Gravimetric determination of total suspended solids (TSS) in environmental monitoring programs.
FAQ
Is the VF6 suitable for pressure-assisted (positive-pressure) filtration?
No—the VF6 is engineered exclusively for vacuum-driven (negative-pressure) filtration. Positive-pressure operation may compromise the glass-to-silicone seal and poses safety risks due to uncontrolled glass fracture under overpressure.
Can I autoclave the entire assembly?
The borosilicate glass components are autoclavable at 121 °C, 15 psi for 20 minutes; however, the No. 8 silicone stopper must be sterilized separately via dry heat (160 °C, 2 hours) or ethylene oxide—repeated autoclaving degrades silicone elasticity and sealing performance.
What filter holders or adapters are compatible with the VF6 funnel?
The funnel accepts standard 47 mm filters without additional holders; optional stainless-steel support grids (e.g., Rocker PFG-47) may be inserted beneath the membrane for high-viscosity or particulate-laden samples requiring mechanical reinforcement.
Does Rocker provide calibration certificates for the VF6 glassware?
Volume calibration is performed per ISO/IEC 17025-accredited procedures for the 1000 mL receiving flask (±0.5% tolerance); certificates are available upon request with traceability to NIST standards.
