[Histonet] Re: paraformaldehyde

[Johnson, Teri]

Margaret, good luck getting 37 grams of powdered PFA to go into solution. Even making a 10% solution is difficult, usually requiring heat (60 degrees C) and/or sodium hydroxide to get it into solution. Once you do, it's going to want to repolymerize and you'll end up with a real mess. You'd do much better to use stock 37% formaldehyde you can buy commercially.

Teri Johnson, HT(ASCP)QIHC
Managing Director, Histology Facility
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
Kansas City, MO