[NHCOLL-L:641] RE: ethanol vs. isopropanyol

[Sendall, Kelly]

from Nancy McCartney:
I have inherited some fish specimens from the Fish and Wildlife Coop here
that are in ethanol or isopropanol.  Collections have been mixed
sufficiently to make it impossible to tell which specimens are in which
alcohol.  Since they will have to be renumbered, etc., is there an easy way
at that time when the jars are opened  to distinguish one from the other?
Someone suggested smelling!!!!! but seems like this isn't very efficient or
pleasant under the circumstances.  Is there a little paper color
test-strip???  Practical suggestions for 500 lots appreciated!  Thanks.

Nancy,

You may want to try using the 'Lucas Test' to distinguish lower alcohols.
Look in a copy of William Kemps 'Qualitative Organic Analysis:
Spectrochemical Techniques' on page 14. If you don't have a copy I can fax
you a copy of the pages.

Sincerely,

Kelly Sendall
Collection Manager,
Invertebrates, Fish and Herpetology
Royal British Columbia Museum
675 Belleville Street
Victoria BC 
CANADA
V8V 1X4
ksendall at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
(250) 387-2932
FAX (250) 356-8197