RE: Xylene vs. toluene or others

From:"Smith, Allen"

The principal reason for using xylene instead of toluene is safety.  The flash point of toluene is 40 degrees F!  The flash point of xylene is 100 degrees F.  The high flash point is due more to its being a mixture than to its higher molecular weight.  (Impurities favor the liquid state, lowering the melting point and raising the boiling point.)
 
Allen A. Smith, Ph.D.
Professor of Anatomy
Barry University School of Graduate Medical Sciences
   Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
Miami Shores, Florida 
-----Original Message-----
From: christine lee
Sent: Fri 12/28/2001 4:51 AM
To: histonet
Cc:
Subject: Xylene vs. toluene or others

As a user of xylene for many years, I have been asked about the use of toluene for clearing and dewaxing etc., is anyone using it in routine Histology and if so how many labs?. It would also be interesting to know how many labs have gone back to xylene after trying substitutes.
 
Christine Lee
Histology Lab,
School of Molecular Biosciences,
University of Queensland. 

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