Need_Help
Harmless
Posts: 1
Registered: 17-2-2010
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Home version of Formaldehyde
We have been looking for a home version of formaldehyde or formalin for a science fair project I am doing. I cannot buy either product where I live. I
am wondering if there is something, over the counter, or home remedy that I can use as a preservative?
|
|
|
DJF90
International Hazard
Posts: 2266
Registered: 15-12-2007
Location: At the bench
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Telling us where you live would be a good start...
|
|
|
User
Hazard to Others
Posts: 339
Registered: 7-11-2008
Location: Earth
Member Is Offline
Mood: Passionate
|
|
I don't know where you live but where I do Formalin is sold for cleaning the toes of sheep and other animals with hoofs.
Might be worth to check it out.
Formalin is no longer used as a preservative if iam correct.
The inet can propably help you out with other options.
What a fine day for chemistry this is.
|
|
|
bbartlog
International Hazard
Posts: 1139
Registered: 27-8-2009
Location: Unmoored in time
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
If you're preserving specimens of some sort, you could try using isopropyl alcohol. I don't know whether it's quite as good as formalin if you need to
preserve something for years, but I've used it to preserve bugs for a few weeks and it worked just fine.
|
|
|
ScienceSquirrel
International Hazard
Posts: 1863
Registered: 18-6-2008
Location: Brittany
Member Is Offline
Mood: Dogs are pets but cats are little furry humans with four feet and self determination! 
|
|
Formalin is still quite available for treatment of diseases in koi carp.
A specialist aquarist shop on line should sell it.
|
|
|
kclo4
National Hazard
Posts: 916
Registered: 11-12-2004
Location:
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I believe 10% ethanol solution is now popularly used to preserve specimens.
|
|
|
JohnWW
International Hazard
Posts: 2849
Registered: 27-7-2004
Location: New Zealand
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
"Methylated spirits" (about 90% ethanol adulterated with substances like methanol, pyridine, sucrose acetate, etc., to make it unpalatable for
drinking, and usually with a blue dye), which can be bought in supermarkets, can be used to preserve biological specimens.
[Edited on 18-2-10 by JohnWW]
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
