[Nhcoll-l] Chimney pieces

[Adam Rountrey]

Hi Paul,
That sounds like a difficult sample, and I suppose treatment will depend on
what folks want to be able to do with it later.  I don't have experience
with vent chimney samples, but we have a mammoth tusk that was recovered
from a deep sea environment (3000m), and it is covered in mineral
deposits.  We currently keep it under refrigeration in an argon
microenvironment, and it has not been treated with any consolidants (yet).
It has been in there for several years, and the tusk and minerals do not
appear to be changing or deteriorating.  Some marine archaeologists might
have advice regarding salt removal to prevent crystal growth, but you could
also have problems with pyrite and other sulfur containing minerals in the
sample.  Perhaps, the long-term storage target would be a dry, low oxygen
microenvironment?
-Adam

Adam N. Rountrey, Ph.D.
Research Museum Collection Manager and 3D Specialist
University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology
T: +1 734 936 1385
3D Online Repository (UMORF) <https://umorf.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/wp/>
3D Data Preservation Book
<https://cs3dp.org/2022/06/29/cs3dp-book-now-available/>



On Wed, Jun 3, 2026 at 1:17 PM Shoobs, Nate <shoobs.1 at osu.edu> wrote:

> Perhaps dunking in dilute paraloid b-72?
>
> Paleo folks use it to consolidate crumbly fossils, and I’ve done that for
> shells before.
>
> If you just want them for display, b-72 is not overly shiny/shellac-y, and
> more dilute mixes leave a matte finish on surfaces.
> -N
>
> -
> *Nathaniel F. Shoobs, *Curator of Mollusks
> College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal
> Biology, The Ohio State University
> Museum of Biological Diversity
> 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212
> 614-688-1342 (Office)
> mbd.osu.edu
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of
> Callomon,Paul <prc44 at drexel.edu>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, June 3, 2026 1:04:04 PM
> *To:* NH-COLL listserv (nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu) <
> nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] Chimney pieces
>
> Folks, Does anyone have experience with preserving pieces of “chimneys”
> taken from geothermal vents in the deep sea? These are mineral accretions,
> but not fully lithified. I’m assuming they contain water and will thus dry
> out
>
> Folks,
>
>
>
> Does anyone have experience with preserving pieces of “chimneys” taken
> from geothermal vents in the deep sea? These are mineral accretions, but
> not fully lithified. I’m assuming they contain water and will thus dry out
> and crumble in air.
>
>
>
> *Paul Callomon*
> *Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates*
> ------------------------------
>
> *Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia*
> prc44 at drexel.edu / Tel. 215-405-5096
>
>
>
>
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