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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Dear Nancy,<br>
<br>
soda-lime glass containers of poor quality suffer from
microcracking, starting on microscopic level, which than unite to
larger (visible but small) fissures and end in larger cracks. The
glass looks, like it exploded from inside the glass itself, and
may crack from one day to the next even though nobody did touch
the container on its shelve. This kind of glass corrosion mediated
and accelerated if the RH fluctuates a lot, as John already
commented.<br>
<br>
If I interpreted your pictures correctly, the lids are glued onto
neck with Silicone, which adds to the problem. In the long run,
you will have to replace the specimen jars. <br>
<br>
Once the jars are open, test for formaldehyde / formalin (there
have been various suggestions using different test kits) or
compare the density of the fluid (is it flammable, are there
mixing anomalies if > 75% alcohols is added - this has to agree
with your internal health & safety policies though). If
depicted sharks are in formalin, I would suggested transfer in an
alcohol ladder (20-40-60-75) into alcohol, as formalin tends to
lower the pH (~ pH 4 or lower), which irreversibly damages dermal
denticles and teeth (both valuable morphologic characteristic
features in sharks). <br>
<br>
All the best<br>
Dirk<br>
<br>
<br>
Am 20.03.2015 um 20:59 schrieb John E Simmons:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAF7GCDakRK22pA4S=it76vFbmXvMrWqF21ER+9u621xt9sJe9g@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Paul's
advice is very good, but handle even the small ones (and
indeed, all old glassware) very carefully. The degree of
thinning of soda-lime glass depends on the amount alkali
components that are extracted from the glass. High relative
humidity in storage will accelerate thinning, as will repeated
wetting and drying of the glassware; the solvent the glassware
contains is also a factor.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">--John<br>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all">
<div>
<div class="gmail_signature">
<div dir="ltr">John E. Simmons<br>
Museologica<br>
128 E. Burnside Street<br>
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:simmons.johne@gmail.com" target="_blank">simmons.johne@gmail.com</a><br>
303-681-5708<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.museologica.com&d=AwMFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=1AA3ZCfP6Cv4kq_XGWgKeXZG33CAmvlM0Mjza4ny3jc&s=VVOB18b4LWPgQwPmWZ_qNBylu20D2yUa6eSeDdCPUak&e=" target="_blank">www.museologica.com</a><br>
and<br>
Adjunct Curator of Collections<br>
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery<br>
Penn State University<br>
University Park, Pennsylvania<br>
and<br>
Instructor, Museum Studies<br>
School of Library and Information Science<br>
Kent State University<br>
and<br>
Lecturer in Art<br>
Juniata College<br>
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Mar 20, 2015 at 3:44 PM,
Callomon,Paul <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:prc44@drexel.edu" target="_blank">prc44@drexel.edu</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-US">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Those
are Whittall Tatum jars, made here in Philadelphia
and at least 80 years old. The bigger the size, the
more fragile they are; I have a ten-gallon one that
we handle very carefully indeed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">The
smaller ones are pretty tough, though, and I’ve used
the half-gallon size for years. They are made of
soda glass and will crizzle in time, but are thick
enough that it won’t weaken them significantly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">You
can cut new gaskets from neoprene sheet, but we make
do with archival plastic foam sheet with a thin film
of vacuum grease on both sides. You hand-tighten the
clamp until you see the seal form all round the lid,
then check up on them periodically.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Finally,
NEVER carry them by the clamp bow; always support
them underneath.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Paul
Callomon</span></b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><br>
<i>Collection Manager, Malacology, Invertebrate
Paleontology and General Invertebrates</i></span><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"></span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:center;background:white"
align="center">
<span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%">
</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Academy
of Natural Sciences of Drexel University,
Philadelphia</span></b><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">1900
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia PA
19103-1195, USA</span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><br>
<i><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:callomon@ansp.org" target="_blank">callomon@ansp.org</a>
Tel <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="tel:215-405-5096" value="+12154055096" target="_blank">215-405-5096</a> - Fax <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="tel:215-299-1170" value="+12152991170" target="_blank">215-299-1170</a></i></span><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #b5c4df
1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu</a>
[mailto:<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Nancy Glover McCartney<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, March 20, 2015 2:55 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nhcoll-l] old glass containers</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="h5">
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">I
have several old glass containers housing
fish, herps, inverts, etc. that are
getting very low on fluid. I expect the
containers are pretty brittle, as a gar
with a giant lobster broke with almost no
provocation and spewed formalin all over:
not a process I want to repeat. I don't
have any idea what these specimens are
stored in.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">I
have attached a few pix of fish and the
screw down tops that appear to have
parafilm or an ancient rubber around the
lid; some of the smaller containers have
what may be beeswax holding in a stopper.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Should
I attempt to open and replace fluid? If
so, how? What precautions?
</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">An
earlier query 10 years or so ago said just
to leave them alone, but maybe there is
different advice now.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">I'd
appreciate some doable suggestion.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">My
thanks in advance, as always.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Nancy
Glover McCartney, PhD<br>
Curator of Zoology<br>
UA Collections Facility<br>
120 BIOMASS<br>
University of Arkansas<br>
2435 Hatch<br>
Fayetteville AR 72701<br>
<br>
Phone: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="tel:479-575-4370" value="+14795754370" target="_blank">479-575-4370</a><br>
Fax: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="tel:479-575-7464" value="+14795757464" target="_blank">479-575-7464</a><br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__museum.uark.edu_index.php&d=AwMFAw&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=x9k-TlzFJTAsCvPqLBttnPE62-CZDhXIe_QpULlzVAY&s=rMQz_Pq_fBnJQlAvHjK9usJ_CkBwU0Svrpt8DG40zRo&e=" target="_blank">http://museum.uark.edu/index.php</a></span></p>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
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