> Salut Marc,
>
> Last Saturday in Paris, you said you would like to stop using formaline as the
> last step for processing UltraStable.
> You suggested the use of thymol (Luis said it wasn't a tanning agent) or
> phenol.
What about glyoxal? A number of us have been using it to harden the
gelatin when sizing paper with good results. I tested it last fall (see
archive) and for the purpose found it better than formaldehyde, as, at
least when fresh, the glyoxal-hardened size stained less.
The only problem I've found with it since then is that the *working
solution* doesn't seem to keep after use the way the formaldeyhde does.
That is, the 15% formaldehyde left after hardening a batch of paper keeps
indefinitely; you could embalm a mummy with it in the year 3000. The
glyoxal gets a blob of jelly in it in time -- outtake of gelatine?
Mutated life forms? Hypertrophied water slime? Whatever, don't mix more
than you'll use, if possible.
Judy