Continuing with basics begun last month in ET-13, we will show dilution charts for HCHO and other areas of concern to create a natural restful memory picture as opposed to early practitioners who attempted to recreate the dead human body to what they called a life-like form.

  Notes of general concern:          Death brings about natural acidity to tissue; Acidity has tendency to cause cells/tissues to absorb moisture; Acidity causes degree of rigidity (rigor mortis); Formalin is a dehydrating agent; Vapor phase causes fixation; Less than 1% dilution causes gelling; Fixes protoplasm (biochemical of the cell); Shrinks colloidal mesh; Reacts to accessory buffer chemicals to control formalin reactions; Formulated formalin creates rubbery firmness; Formalin is not a fungicide or an insecticide; Formalin action increases with heat; Formalin action decreases with cold; Formalin has a strong affinity to water.

  Formaldehyde take up is the rate proteins absorb and react to HCHO. A 10% concentration of HCHO diffuses into the tissues faster than it hardens the protein. Beyond a 10% dilution, hardening of the protein is faster than the diffusion into the tissues. Hardening of cross linked tissue creates the walling off action. Surface embalming may be apparent but depth preservation lacks. The subjects’ tissues soften during decomposition from inadequate chemical preservation.

  Practical application to the body: Rate of take up is fastest during and soon after injection; Rate of HCHO take up parallels with rate of firmness; Rate decreases continually in 12 to 24 hours; Rate fastest at first because of concentration of HCHO; As HCHO content moves into the tissues, concentration decreases; As concentration decreases, take up rate also decreases; Take up rate depends on tissue disorganization of structures; Cold storage increases HCHO demand; Rigor mortis has a profound effect on HCHO demand; Breaking rigor mortis increases HCHO demand; bending, flexing, rotating and massaging increases HCHO demand; Use of pre-injection fluid neutralizes acidity of rigor mortis.

  Greatest HCHO demand: Viscera; Muscle; Skin; Arterial walls.

  Additional general components of arterial chemicals: Preservatives, Modifying agents/Buffer pairs, Germicides, Penetrating agents, Blood solvents/Anticoagulants/Sequestering agents, Coloring agents Perfuming agents, Solvent or vehicles, and Humectants.

  Each component is broken down into a series of ingredients. When these ingredients are carefully formulated and combined they create modern embalming chemistry. Combinations of specific ingredients for the many specialized chemicals are available to the practitioner.

  Arterial injection formulations are formulated to be used in combination for special effects. Preparation of the vascular system is essential to achieve the best results. Continuous research and thorough field testing of every chemical formulation is assurance to quality control.

  The dilution chart represents dilution factors. To develop the chart the Index of the concentrated fluid is divided into 128 ounces (1 gallon) of solution.

20 divided into 128 ounces = 6.4 ounces

6.4 ounces = 1% dilution factor

121.6 ounces of water + 6.4 ounces = 128 ounces = 1%

116.2 ounces of water + 12.8 ounces = 128 ounces = 2%

108.8 ounces of water + 19.2 ounces = 128 ounces = 3%

102.4 ounces of water + 25.6 ounces = 128 ounces = 4%

96.0 ounces of water + 32.0 ounces = 128 ounces = 5%

Dilution Chart

  There is a difference in today’s embalming chemical formulations due to the combinations of various components not used at the time formaldehyde was introduced as an embalming fluid. The early preservative formulation was 40% HCHO and 60% water.

  Research indicates that the concept of 1 gallon of embalming fluid per 100 pounds of body weight was the base standard. This fluid was astringent and required that eye and mouth closures were accomplished by suturing. From necessity, the use of theoretical oil cosmetics came into popular use to cover up formaldehyde gray reactions and excessive dehydration.

  Dilution Factor of 100% HCHO Solution: 40% HCHO + 60% H2O = 100% formalin

  When non-modified formalin acts alone on proteins that make up the body a condensation (fixation synthesis) reaction occurs. Hardening results almost immediately. This condensation reaction creates a hardening (walling off) on layers of tissue, and on encapsulated organs.

  The condensation creates a combined shrinking, fixation, and drying reaction. This makes tissue resistant to distribution, diffusion and inhibition due to the concentrated formalin solution. High concentrations of formalin are acidic and highly reactive which will cause an unnatural appearance of the body.

  ET-15 will deal with biochemical composition, preservation and further embalming formulations.