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Equals

Registered: 10/24/10
Posts: 99
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Old lab glassware
#17636510 - 01/30/13 05:34 PM (11 years, 3 months ago) |
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I have some old lab glassware that I stumbled upon. It is probably 40 years old. Would this glass be okay to use? It doesn't seem to be very dirty. How do I clean something like this? Or should I get new stuff?
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The_Aviator
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Registered: 03/08/10
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Re: Old lab glassware [Re: Equals]
#17636565 - 01/30/13 05:43 PM (11 years, 3 months ago) |
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What do you want to use it for?
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Equals

Registered: 10/24/10
Posts: 99
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For making reagents and stains for mushroom identification.
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Ellis Dee
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Re: Old lab glassware [Re: Equals] 1
#17639905 - 01/30/13 07:45 PM (11 years, 3 months ago) |
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Post pics. Usually glass is cleaned with acetone. You might need to invest in rubber stoppers if you don't have ground joints.
-------------------- "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do."-King Solomon And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
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Dest
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Re: Old lab glassware [Re: Ellis Dee]
#17641518 - 01/31/13 01:01 AM (11 years, 3 months ago) |
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glass is actually a fluid at room temperature. That is why you can see through it, the particles are just moving very slowly so it retains shape. Over time gravity will effect the structure of the glass usually weakening it, for example old windows are thinner at the top thicker at the bottom. The integrity of the glass could be compromised.
Also regular lime glass is not meant to be heated in the same way borosillicate glass is. To determine if you have soda lime glass or borosillicate http://glassshop.sites.yale.edu/helpful-glass-facts <- this link will help.
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Ellis Dee
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Re: Old lab glassware [Re: Dest]
#17641561 - 01/31/13 01:21 AM (11 years, 3 months ago) |
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I got this glass from an old woman who's husband had died. It's old as crap, no ground joints, and I don't even know how to set up a distillation with rubber stoppers. For all intents it's pretty worthless to me and I've intended to piece it out on ebay when I get around to it. I have no doubts about its structure though. It was made for doing chemistry and probably did a lot of it about 100 years ago. It still could if someone wanted to set it up with stoppers and stuff.
Thing is the glass is ancient but still OK but it's just junk because of the joints (or lack thereof).
   
-------------------- "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do."-King Solomon And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
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invitro

Registered: 05/03/13
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Re: Old lab glassware [Re: Dest]
#20384141 - 08/06/14 06:07 PM (9 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Dest said: glass is actually a fluid at room temperature. That is why you can see through it, the particles are just moving very slowly so it retains shape. Over time gravity will effect the structure of the glass usually weakening it, for example old windows are thinner at the top thicker at the bottom. The integrity of the glass could be compromised.
Also regular lime glass is not meant to be heated in the same way borosillicate glass is. To determine if you have soda lime glass or borosillicate http://glassshop.sites.yale.edu/helpful-glass-facts <- this link will help.
Glass does not change form at room temperature as suggested above. This old myth was debunked years ago. see: http://www.livescience.com/34511-glass-liquid-at-room-temperature.html
I might get someone calling "old post" so here is my disclaimer: It doesn't matter if it's an old post, I'm not replying to the original author but to the entire "audience", the info is relevant. Sometimes it's "OK" to bring up old posts.
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psychromatica
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Registered: 10/03/13
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Re: Old lab glassware [Re: invitro]
#20478273 - 08/26/14 06:27 AM (9 years, 8 months ago) |
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I concur!
Also, point of interest, if you want to clean glassware and acetone etc isn't doing the job. you can use a base bath (KOH and a mixture of water and propanol).
Leave it in for a few hours - up to 24hr is ok but it does take a layer off the glass so doing this repeatedly will eventually weaken it.
I's also slippy as hell, so you will need an acid bath (dilute HCl) to soak it in afterwards (a few minutes should be fine).
Then was with water and acetone - good as new!
Obviously, wear decent gloves, and be careful because the glass WILL slip around!
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