<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">We had the same problem with a box of 1 1/2 dram vials. Our glassblowers thought the glass hadn't been properly annealed at the factory. We dumped that one box, and the problem never reappeared.<br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Steve Halford (<a href="mailto:halford@sfu.ca" target="_blank">halford@sfu.ca</a>)<br>Museum Technician (Retired) <br>Department of Biological Sciences<br>Simon Fraser University<br><br></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jan 11, 2017 at 5:42 AM, Sarah K. Huber <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:skhuber@vims.edu" target="_blank">skhuber@vims.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<div style="direction:ltr;font-family:Tahoma;color:#000000;font-size:10pt">
<div>
<p>We are having some problems with our glass vials (2-dram, 4-dram, and 6-dram) cracking, breaking, and in some cases exploding. In one instance the top of the vial snapped and shot up a few inches in the air about 5 minutes after sealing the vial (very exciting).
However, most vials that break are found during routine (monthly) checks. In some cases, the vials have been fine for a year, and then will break. In other cases, they break a week or two after fillign. Breakage occurs several ways: a clean break along the
neck, a clean break along the bottom, or spider cracks along the whole vial. Has anyone else had this problem or know of a solution (e.g., do we need higher quality glass vials, are we screwing down the lids too tight, etc.)?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We use Kimble™ Screw-Thread N-51A Borosilicate Glass Sample Vials with Closed-Top Black Phenolic Caps with Rubber Liners. Vials are filled with ethanol (either 70% or 95%) and larval fishes. Vials are stored in cardboard vial trays with dividers between
vials, and vial trays are stored in wooden drawers in sealed metal cabinets. The room has minimal fluctuations in humidity, but can fluctuate in temperature by about 5 degrees. Once the vials are stored they are relatively undisturbed, so there is little to
no bumping or moving of the vials.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Any thoughts or recommendations of other vial manufacturers would be appreciated.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Sarah</p>
<p> </p>
<div style="FONT-SIZE:13px;FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma">
<div style="FONT-SIZE:13px;FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma">
<div style="FONT-SIZE:13px;FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma"><font size="3" color="#000000">
<div style="FONT-SIZE:13px;FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma"><br>
</div></font><font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt"><font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt"><font size="3" color="#000000">Sarah K. Huber, Ph.D.</font><br>
</span></font></span></font><font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt"><font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt"><font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">Curatorial Associate, VIMS Nunnally Ichthyology Collection<br>
</span></font></span></font></span></font><font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">Office <a href="tel:(804)%20684-7104" value="+18046847104" target="_blank">804.684.7104</a>
<span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">| Collection 804.684.</span>7285<br>
<a href="mailto:skhuber@vims.edu" target="_blank">skhuber@vims.edu</a> <font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">| <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.vims.edu&d=CwMFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=nTwnvnbwB0vQ-eB9hCKhOkQ3V146x9pJ1RsvsSdyp88&s=hZpkBnidPiTGqshX60u1qEhWAGkYN1kZAUSq6G8Ms_w&e=" target="_blank">www.vims.edu</a></span></font></span></font><br>
<font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">PO Box 1346 | 1375 Greate Rd., Gloucester Pt., VA 23062</span></font></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
Nhcoll-l mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu">Nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a><br>
<a href="http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://mailman.yale.edu/<wbr>mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l</a><br>
<br>
______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of<br>
Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose<br>
mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of<br>
natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to<br>
society. See <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.spnhc.org&d=CwMFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=nTwnvnbwB0vQ-eB9hCKhOkQ3V146x9pJ1RsvsSdyp88&s=B1SfvgapZ_Z_QHn0fJTfLRBhrmFGi7JOhp6POi4Cgxc&e=" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.spnhc.org</a> for membership information.<br>
Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.<br>
<br></blockquote></div><br></div>