[NHCOLL-L:5954] Re: Solvent to reverse archival microslide mountants

[Couteaufin at aol.com]

Thanks for the replies thus far.  The concerns I have are that I am  due to 
be running a course in microslide conservation and this will be the  first! 
 The organisers are worried about the H&S side of things and  that xylene 
could bring them grief.
For my own part I always use a covered Petri dish and leave to soak in a  
fume extraction area and have re-mounted 100s of slides.  So this method  
needs to be simple but have no H&S strings attached if at all  possible.  
Warming may be OK and trying to 'mobilise' the mountant a bit but specimens 
 are a bit fragile and sometimes fall apart while the mountant is at this 
treacly  stage..  
 
With all good  wishes, Simon

Simon Moore MIScT, FLS, ACR,
Conservator of Natural  Sciences,

_www.natural-history-conservation.com_ 
(http://www.natural-history-conservation.co.uk/) 

_www.pocket-fruit-knives.info _ (http://www.pocket.fruit-knives.com/) 


In a message dated 09/04/2012 11:13:55 GMT Daylight Time,  
Couteaufin at aol.com writes:

I have (in vain) been trying to find a less health-&-safety-sensitive  
subtitute for xylene to loosen coverslips on microslides where archival  
mountants such as Canada Balsam and Euparal have oxidised, become contaminated  or 
have otherwise darkened.  
I have had cumene suggested (but with no experience) as a possible safer  
subsitute.
Does anyone have any idea what I might be able to use please?
 
With all  good wishes, Simon

Simon Moore MIScT, FLS, ACR,
Conservator of  Natural Sciences,

_www.natural-history-conservation.com_ 
(http://www.natural-history-conservation.com/)  
_www.pocket-fruit-knives.info_ (http://www.pocket-fruit-knives.info/)  

_http://uk.linkedin.com/in/naturalsciencespecimenconserve_ 
(http://uk.linkedin.com/in/naturalsciencespecimenconserve)   



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