Specialty Silicone Products (SSP) supplies autosampler caps and septa that are compatible with a wide variety of today’s laboratory equipment. To produce your septa, we use high purity silicone rubber and the premium-quality PTFE films. We can also bond septa to open-top or closed-top screw caps. SSP even supplies standard and custom septa for magnetic caps and headspace vials.       

Autosampler closures need to support the use of robotic devices that are used in conjunction with laboratory instruments. During sampling, vials are picked, placed, and penetrated with a needle. Automating the sampling process increases speed and efficiency by eliminating manual, time-consuming tasks. Plus, the use of an autosampler is also precise, accurate, and consistent. 

Autosampler septa must protect the purity of samples used in liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC), processes for separating separate proteins, nucleic acids, and other small molecules. With LC autosamplers, a liquid sample may be subjected to high pressures. GC autosamplers may subject vials for high temperatures in ovens for long periods of time.  

SSP’s autosampler septa withstand these demanding conditions and won’t contaminant the sample via leaching. Compared to peroxide cured compounds, our platinum-cured silicones have more tailorable physical properties. Plus, our ultra-low bleed platinumed-catalyzed materials won’t release byproducts into the sample. 

Importantly, SSP uses Easy Pierce™ technology to combine easy needle penetration with resealability and resistance to evaporation. Septa from other companies may promote analytical purity and limit evaporation, but at the expense of penetration. When resistance to piercing is high, needles can break. Strong resistance can also disrupt autosampler motors. SSP’s Easy Pierce™ balances ease-of-penetration with other application requirements and is available in standard and ultra low bleed versions. 

See the product tables below for more information about the standard autosampler septa that SSP supplies. All our septa are Made in the USA at our Ballston Spa, New York facility. Standard septa use specific PTFE films in different colors and thicknesses. They’re supplied in bags of 100 or 1000 and can come pre-assembled for headspace vials or screw, snap, crimp, or magnetic caps.