[NHCOLL-L:3071] Stainless steel tank gaskets

[Alexandra M. Snyder]

A year ago, I ordered new gasket material from the Steel Fixture 
Manufacturing Co., Topeka KS.  It was an inferior product compared to the 
gasket material I have used (since 1980) for tanks made by this company. 
This gasket material buckled and easily tore when placed in the tank 
channels; moisture made the gasket expand and not hold it's shape.  I 
contacted Steel Fixture and made them aware of this problem.  They 
contacted their supplier, who told them that it was the same gasket 
material they had always supplied to Steel Fixture.

Roger Emperley of Steel Fixture just called me this morning to inform me 
that indeed I was right (it is different stuff) and that he got the 
supplier to finally admit it.  So, I will be sending small amounts of 70% 
ethanol, 10% formalin, and 50% isopropanol to Roger to start testing gasket 
materials from other suppliers.

If anyone has had similar problems, I thought this might be of interest. 
Secondly, if anyone has ideas on other fluids that might be tested, let me 
know and I will send those along as well.

Lex

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Alexandra M. Snyder, Collections Manager
Division of Fishes  MSC03-2020
Museum of Southwestern Biology CERIA 83
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131 USA
PH/Fax 505.277.6005
Alexandra.Snyder at msb.unm.edu