[Histonet] RE: recycled alcohol versus reagent grade alcohol

[Pam Marcum]

I would add to that once you open any alcohol and pour it or recap it poorly it will begin to absorb water from the rrom and the percentage is not 100%.  We use a hygrometer and even freshly opened alcohols lose to 1 to 4% on purity very quickly.  We live in a humid climate and some are much worse.  We are also reducing the purity of 100% everytime we add tissue to remove water.  I long ago, stopped worrying about absolute alcohol and started worrying about keeping it above 95% when possible.  
  
Pam Marcm 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Debra Siena" <DSiena <@t> statlab.com> 
To: "Ryan Roy" <Ryan.Roy <@t> va.gov>, "Histonet" <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu> 
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2015 9:38:33 AM 
Subject: [Histonet] RE: recycled alcohol versus reagent grade alcohol 

Hi Ryan, 

Reagent grade alcohol can be purchased in different percentages such as 50% to 100%, etc.  It depends on what you purchase.    Reagent alcohol is simply a blend of three different alcohols, ethanol, methanol, and isopropyl and is created using a formula that is stated by the federal government to make it poisonous for human consumption.   

Recycled alcohol never comes back as 100%, and does vary from 95% to about 98%.   

  Debbie Siena, HT(ASCP)QIHC 
StatLab Medical Products 
Technical Support Manager 
407 Interchange Street | McKinney, TX 75071 
t: 800.442.3573 ext. 229 | f: 972.767.3992 
dsiena <@t> statlab.com | www.statlab.com 


-----Original Message----- 
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Roy, Ryan 
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2015 7:53 AM 
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Subject: [Histonet] recycled alcohol versus reagent grade alcohol 

Hello Histonet, 

How do other labs test and verify the percent grade of alcohols and what is the assumed percent grade of reagent alcohol? We use recycled alcohols but today based on not having reagent grade we used 97% tested recycled as our flush. 

The reasoning behind this was that Reagent grade varies from 95%-greater than 100%. Is this true? 

Thanks in advance, 

Ryan 
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