Empty Glass Cells

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Item #	Qty	Description
GC251	1	Empty Glass Cell with Ø25 mm Fused Windows, 100 mm Long, One Fill Tube
GCH25-75	1	Heater Assembly for Ø9, Ø19, or Ø25 mm x 75 mm Glass Cells, 15 W per Heating Element
ER4-P4	1	Cage Assembly Rod, 4" Long, Ø6 mm, 4 Pack
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Our Ø25 mm glass cells can be mounted in our GCH25-75 Heater and four ER4 cage rods.

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The GCV251, TGC100V, and GCV501 Empty Glass Cells feature a J. Young^® Valve that can be closed to maintain a high-vacuum seal.

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These empty glass cells can also be mounted in our VC3C V-Clamp.

Features

• 100 mm Glass Cells for Spectroscopy Applications
• Both Ends Include Ø25 mm Windows, Ø50 mm Windows, or Threading for End Cap
• Borosilicate Substrate for Cell and Windows
• High Transmission from 350 to 2200 nm
• Available with One Tube for Filling or Two Tubes for Flow
• Single Fill Tube Cells Also Available with Genuine J. Young^® Valve for Sealing
• Custom Design and Manufacturing Services Available (Contact Tech Support)
• Ø25 mm Cells Compatible with a Variety of Glass Cell Heaters

These empty borosilicate glass cells can be filled with vapors of specific atomic elements or molecular compounds, each of which has a well-defined absorption spectrum. Cells are available with either one or two fill tubes. A single fill tube is useful when sealing a cell while two fill tubes can be used to maintain constant gas flow. We also offer empty cells with a single fill tube and a J. Young^® valve to seal the cell with a high-vacuum, greaseless stopcock (see the image to the right). Each fill tube has a 1/2" outer diameter for compatibility with Ø1/2" compression fittings, as shown in the Application Idea image above. Custom reference cells can be manufactured upon request, including different cell lengths, cell diameters, or fill tube configurations. Please contact Tech Support with inquiries.

Each cell is made from borosilicate glass, a rugged material known to resist chipping and cracking, and has high transmission from 350 nm to 2.2 µm. All glass cells on this page can hold a vacuum below 10^-7 Torr and withstand pressures up to 5 psi. The post-production cleaning process for these cells consists of an ultrasonic cleaning followed by a methanol rinse. The cell is then connected to a vacuum system and leak tested. The cells are not vacuum sealed when shipped; before using the cell in a vacuum setup, we advise users to follow a similar cleaning process for each cell.

The ends of each cell include either Ø25 mm fused windows, Ø50 mm fused windows, or external GL-32 threading for the GC1 end cap (sold separately below). When using the threaded version, a Ø25 mm or Ø1" flat window, 3 - 5 mm thick, can be mounted inside the end cap, which includes a through hole with a clear aperture of 0.79". See the image below for an illustration of this setup.

These cells are commonly used in spectroscopic applications such as tunable diode laser calibration, stabilization of laser frequencies, and calibration of wavelength meters. Refer to the Application tab for a general overview of use with absorption spectroscopy. We also offer pre-assembled Herriott cells for gas absorption spectroscopy applications, as well as filled and sealed vapor reference cells.

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Schematic of Threaded Glass Cell with Window, Ring Heater, Viton^® O-Rings, and End Cap

Mounting & Heating Options
The glass cells can be mounted in our V-Clamp Mounts, which are available in standard, kinematic, or Ø1.5" post-compatible versions. Please check that the cell diameter is supported by the mount. Cells with fused Ø25 mm windows can be mounted in our GCH25-75 Glass Cell Heater as illustrated in the photo to the upper right. This requires swapping out the included Ø6 mm cage rods with four ER4 4" long cage rods. We also offer the GCH25R Cap Heater for cells with fused Ø25 mm windows. This heater attaches directly to the end of a cell. Our cells with threaded ends can be heated using the HT10KR Ring Heater, which can fit inside the threaded end cap, as illustrated to the left. Our HT10K and TLK-H Resistive Foil Heaters can attach to the outside of the glass cells via adhesive backing.

*J. Young^® is a registered trademark of GPE Scientific. Viton^® is a registered trademark of DuPont.

Absorption Spectroscopy

The reference substance pumped into the glass cell is associated with a unique absorption spectrum that serves as its fingerprint, the contents of a reference cell can be determined via a linear absorption measurement (as depicted by the simplified schematic below). By scanning a tunable diode laser over a wavelength range and detecting light absorption with a photodetector, a series of peaks will be recorded, which is characteristic of the vapor inside the cell. Please note that we also offer pre-filled and sealed vapor reference cells with quartz or borosilicate substrates.