[NHCOLL-L:1130] Re: :

[Charles Sturm]

Angela,
  Have you looked into using Butvar.  It is a polymer that somes in
several maolecular weights, the one that I use is Butvar-76. To quote from
a paper that I am writing...

  "Among the adhesives and consolidants that are felt to be safe are
polyvinyl butyral (Butvar 76 and Butvar 98), polyvinyl acetate (Vinac),
and acrylic copolymer (Lucite, Acryloid B72, and Paraloid).  My favorite
is Butvar 76.  It is soluble in acetone and I make a thick slurry by
dissolving one pound of Butvar 76 in one gallon of acetone, and use this
as an adhesive.  I dilute this slurry 1:1 with acetone and use this
solution as a consolidant.  It has the properties of fast penetration, a
non-adhesive finish (non-tacky when dry), a brief drying time and low
toxicity.  The main precaution is to use it with adequate ventilation.
The solvent, acetone, can cause respiratory depression.  Good ventilation
prevents this.  Acetone is also flammable and should not be used around an
open flame."

I have treated some cetacean bones with Butvar-76 about 10 years ago and
they seem to be holding up fairly well.  They are not handled much and
spend the majority of their time residing in a cabinet.  I will also
second the aim of trying to control humidity and temperature.  Avoiding
wide swings in these parameters will also help in preventing
deteriorization of your specimens.

Regards,
Charlie
******************************************************************************
Charlie Sturm, Jr
Research Associate - Section of Invertebrate Zoology
                     Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA
Assistant Professor - Family Medicine

csturmjr at pitt.edu