[Histonet] Sources of LVN (low viscosity nitrocellulose)

[Barry Rittman]

Technically LVN and celloidin are not quite the same.
LVN (also known as gun cotton) is useful for large specimens -we used to
use this for aborted fetal heads and large bone specimens. It penetrates
much more rapidly that celloidin and is much easier and safer to handle.
Tissues prepared especially in celloidin are magnificent due to the very
low rate of shrinkage.
The cost of safe transport of these is prohibitive.
I am retired now but in the 1990s celloidin from Fisher was $1,200  a pound
plus transport costs.
Barry

.


On Thu, Aug 7, 2014 at 3:01 PM, Willy Bemis <web24 <@t> cornell.edu> wrote:

> Historically, we used LVN (low viscosity nitrocellulose, also marketed as
> Celloidin and various other trade names) to embed specimens such as whole
> decalcified salmon heads for thick sectioning (30 to 100µm) using sliding
> microtomes such as the AO 860.
>
> I used to be able to purchase LVN powder wetted with alcohol from the
> Hercules Company. Because their LVN  was not highly purified, it was much
> less expensive than Celloidin. It worked perfectly for our technique.
> Unfortunately, Hercules is no longer in business.
>
> Does anyone know of a commercial source for LVN?
>
> Willy
>
>
>
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