Storage containers for wet collection

Bradley Froggatt <brad_froggat<-a t->museummannature< . >mb< . >ca> writes

>I am searching for current information on storage containers (jars)
>for the storage of wet collections, ie: natural history specimens
>preserved in formalin, and 50% isopropyl alcohol / water solutions,
>and ethanol.  In particular, we are searching for containers that
>are transparent and seal well with little to no evaporation.

I posted a similar query about a year ago when we were re-housing
our fish collection.  The following is a summary of what I learned.

Flint glass jars with polypropylene/polyethylene (called F-217 or
foamed PE in the trade) are recommended by conservators in the US.
One museum has anecdotal information that evaporation from PP/PE
F-217 lids was minimal over a 10 year period.  Available from a
variety of sources in the US/Canada.  Kohls Containers in Baltimore,
MD 1-800-423-7546; shipping costs are very high but they carry 120mm
lids); VWR 800-932-5000; has offices in Canada; the largest lid size
is 110mm).  Wheaton Glass makes a Redi-Pak jar/lid combo which is
reasonably priced--available thru VWR.

An acceptable alternative seems to be canning jars with rubber
gaskets, although the gaskets deteriorate and need replacing.  The
Division of Fishes at the Smithsonian has data about gasket
composition which is most suitable.

Apparently the best jar/lids are borosilicate glass with a glass
stopper.  They are available in the UK and I believe the BM uses
them.  I haven't heard of any institution in North American using
them.  Available thru Dixon Scientific Ltd in the UK.

An excellent reference for suitable storage materials for natural
history collections is "Storage of Natural History Collections:
Solutions and Practical Applications" by Carolyn Rose and others. It
is published by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History
Collections (SPNHC) and available by contacting Julia Golden at
j-golden<-a t->uiowa< . >edu.  The book contains addresses, telephone numbers
etc. about suppliers in the US and some in Canada.

Jane MacKnight
Registrar/Collections Manager
Idaho Museum of Natural History

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:12
                  Distributed: Thursday, July 24, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-11-12-001
                                  ***