[Histonet] Re: Xylene substitutes

[Robert Richmond]

William (Bill) O'Donnell, HT (ASCP) QIHC, Lead Histologist, Good
Samaritan Hospital, Kearney, Nebraska, notes that Clear-Rite 3 is at
least temporarily unavailable, and he is looking for a substitute.
(Anybody know what's going on with Clear-Rite 3?)

Clear-Rite 3 is an aliphatic (rather than a limonene). Aliphatics
can't always be substituted for each other - they are chemically
different from each other - each has its own flammability
characteristics (flash point) and (if you're recovering solvent using
a spinning band still) its own distillation routine. If you change,
you may want to stay with the product you change to. Your purchasing
people need to be aware that they are not to change brands on you.

I just worked in a lab that has a Leica ASP300S processor (which they
like, by the way). The people there have been told that they may use
only one particular aliphatic with it, one I hadn't heard of before:

Sub-X
aliphatic hydrocarbon isoparaffinic oil
CAS 6472-48-9    DOT petroleum distillates, NOS, 3
class 3 flammable liquid
Flash point 106 F (41 C)

Anybody know if this is actually the case?

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN