Science
Corning
Maker
Büchner funnel
Description
This instrument is a glass funnel with a vertical-walled upper chamber that leads to a fritted glass plate. The funnel continues after the glass plate, and tapers into a small spout. Model number 36060.
A Büchner funnel is a piece of laboratory equipment that is used for the vacuum-assisted filtration and separation of precipitates from a solution. Though they are usually used with filter paper, this glass Büchner funnel have a fittered glass plate in place of the paper for use in reactions where the paper will be affected by the material being filtered. This funnel was used by the MIT Chemistry Department until it was donated to the museum in 1978.
This funnel is made of Pyrex, the Corning trade name for borosilicate glass. The Corning Glass Works developed a lead-free borosilicate glass as a consumer product in 1915. Though it was first used in consumer products like pie plates and casserole dishes, WWI-era shortages in laboratory equipment (which were mainly manufactured in Germany) led the company to expand into making laboratory glassware.
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