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From: Dan Blunk <blunk**At_Symbol_Here**UCSC.EDU>
Subject: Old Formalin With Lots of Precipitate
Date: Aug 11, 2010 17:28 UTC
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Colleagues,
I wondered if you’ve run into this previously:
A physical plant person brought me a pint reagent bottle labeled 37% Formaldehyde this morning that he found while remodeling a workspace.
The
bottle is the original
It’s about =BE full, and appears to have been opened.
About 50% of the volume of the bottle is a white precipitate, with about =BC volume of clear liquid above.
The purchase date on the label is smudged, but it appears the bottle is at least 35 years old.
As I remember, aldehydes do undergo a slow polymerization reaction. I wouldn’t expect an aqueous solution to form peroxides.
Thoughts?
Dan