[NHCOLL-L:3323] Recrystallizing naphthalene

[Jane O'Donnell]

All,

At least in insect collections, sometimes the crystals aren't 
recrystallized fumigant, but rather stearic acid, resulting from the 
de-esterification of fat into glycerol and stearic acid. The fumigant 
in vapor phase acts as a solvent to draw fats out.

Stearic acid is not volatile, and so won't "evaporate"; PDB 
volatilizes at a faster rate than naphthalene, but crystals of both 
these fumigants would eventually disappear in the open.

Cheers,


Jane O'Donnell, Ph.D., Manager of Scientific Collections
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Unit-3043
75 North Eagleville Road
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269-3043
Phone: (860)486-4451
Fax: (860)486-6364
http://collections2.eeb.uconn.edu/collections/chp.html