Choosing the Ideal Countertop for Laboratory Applications

AUSTIN, Texas - Feb. 24, 2025 - PRLog -- Need to know which type of countertop material is recommended for your laboratory application?

In the following sections, we announce the most common types of laboratory work and discuss the best recommended type of countertop.

Remember, it may be advantageous to choose different countertop materials even within one laboratory to provide the best performance for each of your different lab operations.

Wet Labs Handling Harsh Chemicals or High Heat Applications

• Epoxy Resin Countertops are a Top Recommendation

If your laboratory is handling a wide range of chemicals, including corrosive chemicals and reagents, or you will be working with oils, solvents, and industrial chemicals, then epoxy resin countertops are a top recommendation.

The epoxy resin material is extremely durable and can stand up to heavy use. It is resistant to staining and abrasions. It's also non-porous and doesn't absorb moisture, which increases its useful life.

Epoxy resin countertops are also capable of withstanding higher temperatures or exposure to open flames, making them a good choice for chemical labs, either in a corporate lab or a university research setting.

Be advised when specifying epoxy resin countertops that the material is relatively heavy, so it may require a more substantial support structure. Epoxy resin countertops are also relatively expensive due to their manufacturing processes and transportation costs.

If you are looking for an alternative to epoxy resin, consider phenolic resin or stainless steel.

Laboratories Working with Organic Clinical Samples, including Harmful Pathogens

• Phenolic Resin Countertops are a Top Recommendation

Phenolic countertops are a recommended choice for laboratories with less exposure to harsher chemicals or high heat.

Like epoxy countertops, phenolic resin is a non-porous material, and it resists fungal and bacterial growth, making it an ideal choice for handling organic clinical samples, including potentially dangerous pathogens.

This combination makes phenolic resin countertops a recommended option for a variety of healthcare settings (including clinical testing labs, veterinary labs, microbiology labs, and dentistry labs). Phenolic resin countertops are also well suited for agricultural labs, forensic labs, and educational labs that don't work with harsh chemicals/solvents or are subject to high heat exposure.

Phenolic resin countertops are lighter weight than epoxy resin ones, meaning they don't require a heavy-duty support structure underneath. They also tend to be less expensive than epoxy resin countertops.

Clean Room Facilities, such as Chip Wafer Fab Laboratories

• Stainless Steel Countertops are a Top Recommendation

Clean room environments, such as microchip wafer fabrication laboratories or high-security bio-safety laboratories, must meet stringent standards to eliminate microparticles from the lab environment.

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