[Nhcoll-l] Fluid preservation jar lids

[Simon Moore]

The cotton wool / polyester batting method is good but not for anthropoids with hookey feet, else you drag them out when removing the closure.  I have always used nylon closures for these tubes and they work very well but I’m not sure who supplies them!

With all good wishes, Simon

Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR
Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian,

www.natural-history-conservation.com



> On 16 Aug 2022, at 12:34, Tom Schiøtte <tschioette at snm.ku.dk> wrote:
> 
> Dear Lennart,
>  
> I am no biochemist, but my understanding is that cotton is chemically complex, but that the end result is rather to the alkaline than the acidic side. Somebody correct that if I am wrong. In alcohol samples, however, the real thing to worry about is that the alcohol itself becomes somewhat acidic when it over time absorbs CO2 from the air.
>  
> I have heard of synthetic cotton too. Let somebody experiment with that over 100 years and perhaps convince my great-great-grandchildren of its qualities.
>  
> Cheers
>  
> Tom
>  
>  
>  
> From: Lennart Lennuk <Lennart.Lennuk at loodusmuuseum.ee> 
> Sent: 16. august 2022 13:07
> To: Tom Schiøtte <tschioette at snm.ku.dk>; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> Subject: RE: Fluid preservation jar lids
>  
> Dear Tom,
>  
> Can you tell if there might be a probleem with acidity with cotton wool?
> I have heard about alternative using of synthetic cotton.
>  
> Best!
> Lennart
>  
> From: Nhcoll-l [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Tom Schiøtte
> Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2022 12:29 PM
> To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Fluid preservation jar lids
>  
> Dear Joosep,
>  
> At our museum we always used ordinary 100% hydrophilic cotton with satisfactory results for stoppers in the glass-tubes. Among other things it keeps its properties over very long time. We have experimented with other solutions, but they always proved to be problematic in some way.
>  
> Mind you, with the setup on your photo, use also a layer of cotton wool under the glass tubes to prevent them from breaking on the outer glass jar. And if you now tell me that the tubes and jars are some kind of plastic or PVC, please reconsider your choice. Glass and cotton have practically eternal life, while other materials have yet to demonstrate that.
>  
> Cheers
>  
> Tom
>  
> Tom Schiøtte
>  
> Collection manager, Echinodermata & Mollusca
> Natural History Museum of Denmark (Zoology)
> Universitetsparken 15
> DK 2100 Copenhagen OE
>  
> +45 35 32 10 48
> TSchioette at snm.ku.dk
>  
>  
>  
> From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Joosep Sarapuu
> Sent: 16. august 2022 10:39
> To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Fluid preservation jar lids
>  
> Dear all,
> We would like to know which lid is the best for small jars for fluid specimens. We have an idea that when we collect (for excample small coastal specimens) in the same area and same date we can sort them out in the small jars and place small jars in the big jar (like in the picture) to save space and it will be comfortable to manage these. We will put alcohol in both jars, the small ones and big one also. But right now we do not know which is the best way to close the small jars to prevent specimens to fall out. Is some kind of cotton, or plastic or something else the best. Can somebody help us?
>  
> Sincerely,
> Joosep Sarapuu
> Estonian Natural History Museum
> 59031393
>  
> <image001.jpg>
>  
> Kiri on saadetud väljastpoolt valitsemisala.  Ärge avage kirjaga kaasa tulnud linke või manuseid enne, kui olete saatja õigsuses ja sisu turvalisuses kindel.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Nhcoll-l mailing list
> Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l
> 
> _______________________________________________
> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.