Parafilm

Parafilm M is commonly used in health care, pharmaceutical and research laboratories for covering or sealing vessels such as flasks, cuvettes, test tubes, beakers, petri dishes and more.{{cite video |last1=Dainis |first1=Alex |title=Parafilm: What is this thing?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_YbhkwEYmM |access-date=18 March 2023 |language=en}}

The "M" stands for mounting or maps, as Parafilm was originally used to mount charts and other objects using heat.{{cite magazine |last1=Barbu |first1=Brianna |title=Fun with Parafilm |magazine=Chemical & Engineering News |date=February 26, 2023 |volume=101 |issue=7 |url=https://cen.acs.org/materials/adhesives/Fun-Parafilm/101/i7 |access-date=18 March 2023 |issn=0009-2347}}{{cite journal |title=Parafilm – A latex-base material |journal=The Rubber Age |date=June 1937 |volume=41 |issue=3 |page=178 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_elastomerics_1937-06_41_3/page/178/ |access-date=18 March 2023 |publisher=Penton Business Media |language=English}} Parafilm M was marketed in 1950s for lab use and for various home applications.

Because it melts quickly when heated, Parafilm M is not safe for use in an autoclave. It is also soluble in many organic solvents.{{cite web|url=https://camblab.info/wp/index.php/parafilm-frequently-asked-questions/|title=Parafilm : Frequently asked questions|first=David|last=Miller|date=17 May 2012}}

Some growers use Parafilm M instead of fungicides or other coatings to prevent rot, wrapping it around the freshly cut crowns of bananas, pineapples and other produce.

Florists use Parafilm Stem Wrap to extend the flower's life by protecting moisture in the stem as a floral tape.{{Cite web|url=https://www.koch.com.au/blog/what-is-parafilm-stem-wrap|title=What is Parafilm Stem Wrap? |work=The Koch Blog|date=2013-05-31|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-02-19}}

Horticulturalists use Parafilm Grafting Tape in grafting. Several grafting styles call for wrapping a graft to hold it together, and sealing it to prevent drying and Parafilm Grafting Tape does both. In this context Parafilm is also known as grafting tape.

Parafilm M is used by some modelers as a masking material during airbrushing, due to its lack of adhesion, which can destroy a finish.

Entomologists have used Parafilm M as a membrane to feed hematophagous insects such as mosquitoes and bedbugs{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/science/31bedbug.html|title=Bedbugs Crawl, They Bite, They Baffle Scientists|first=Donald G. Jr.|last=McNeil|date=30 August 2010|newspaper=The New York Times}} reared in the lab.

An application of Parafilm M is to make paper-based microfluidic devices.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.rsc.org/chipsandtips/2012/04/10/simple-and-rapid-fabrication-of-paper-microfluidic-devices-utilizing-parafilm%C2%AE/|title=Simple and rapid fabrication of paper microfluidic devices utilizing Parafilm® « Chips and Tips|work=rsc.org}} Paper-based microfluidic devices are considered a suitable way to fabricate low-cost point-of-care diagnostics for developing countries and areas where expensive medical instrumentation is not accessible.

Digital microfluidic devices can also use it as the electrode insulator and hydrophobic layer {{cite web|url=http://blogs.rsc.org/chipsandtips/2010/07/06/a-two-for-one-dielectric-and-hydrophobic-layer-for-digital-microfluidics/|title=A two-for-one dielectric and hydrophobic layer for digital microfluidics « Chips and Tips|work=rsc.org}}

A similar but now discontinued product is Fuji's Sealon film.{{cite book |last1=Mitsuhashi |first1=Jun |editor1-last=Maramorosch |editor1-first=Karl |editor2-last=Harris |editor2-first=Kerry F. |title=Leafhopper Vectors and Plant Disease Agents |publisher=Academic Press |year=1979 |page=375 |chapter=Materials for Artificial Rearing of Leafhoppers |name-list-style=amp}}{{Cite journal | last1 = Takahashi | first1 = K. | last2 = Mogi | first2 = I. | last3 = Awaji | first3 = S. | last4 = Watanabe | first4 = K. | title = Non-contact measurement of diamagnetic susceptibility change by a magnetic levitation technique | doi = 10.1088/0957-0233/22/3/035703 | journal = Measurement Science and Technology | volume = 22 | issue = 3 | pages = 035703 | year = 2011 | bibcode = 2011MeScT..22c5703T | s2cid = 120315738 }}

Another similar product is Seal-R-Film.

• Plastic wrap

{{Reflist}}

• http://www.parafilm.com
• https://www.thomassci.com/scientific-supplies/Parafilm
• http://sealrfilm.com

Category:Laboratory equipment