RE: Xylene expiration date.

From:Jim at ProSciTech <jim@proscitech.com>

Petrol (gasoline) contains additives and there is some separation during long 
term storage. Xylene, however, is a stable chemical molecule and I rather doubt 
that this falls apart in any way during reasonable storage conditions. I am 
rather surprized that they give it an expiry date. I expect that the "bottler" 
thought it was a good idea; perhaps it would cause people to throw out old and 
buy new solvents.

I am amused that you are reluctant to take a whiff (not that this would tell 
you much). Not many years ago histologists virtually lived in xylene vapour 
saturated labs. Certainly its not conducive to good health, but the problem was 
not the odd whiff but chronic exposure.
Happy New Year
Jim Darley
ProSciTech                 Microscopy PLUS
PO Box 111, Thuringowa  QLD  4817  Australia
Ph +61 7 4774 0370  Fax:+61 7 4789 2313  service@proscitech.com
Great microscopy catalogue, 500 Links, MSDS, User Notes
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On Saturday, December 30, 2000 1:11 AM, mosborne@unmc.edu 
[SMTP:mosborne@unmc.edu] wrote:
> Hello in histoland,  I have 5 gallons of xylene dumped on me from a lab
> here in Anatomy, date of expiration is 4/94, is this still good to use?  I
> don't want to stick my nose into it.  Thanks, Marianne in Omaha,Ne.  Happy
> New Year.
>




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