Cerium Tubing

Corning 51-C tubing is a cerium-doped borosilicate tubing that meets all common pharmacopeial requirements for primary glass packaging. The cerium oxide content of 51-C tubing is between 0.7 to 1.0 weight percent and has been optimized to provide protection against interactions with ionizing radiations (e.g., gamma radiation, electron beam, and X-rays) that cause discoloration of undoped glass compositions. While Corning 51-C tubing should be compatible with most radiation sterilization applications, customers should evaluate performance of the tubing in their own processes to determine suitability. USP <1229.10> provides guidance on the design and validation of sterilization cycles using ionizing radiations, and describes a dose setting procedure that includes an example dosage range of 15 to 25 kGy.

Corning 51-C tubing can be easily distinguished from other clear undoped borosilicate glass using a simple visual inspection technique: Corning 51-C tubing exhibits a blue-colored fluorescence when illuminated by an ultraviolet light source while the undoped glass does not.