Powder / Bulk Solids ?
Has your question anything to do with powder and bulk solids handling and processing?
If not, then you should rather post in another Forum and we should delete your thread.
But I am open for your comments.
Reinhard Wohlbier
Administrator ■
Re: Ageless Mushroom In A Lucite Cube
Thanks for the reply Author.
I found this forum with a google search of "plastics" "materials" "forum". It seems that people are discussing a wide range of topics here. Sorry if this is too off topic. You can delete it if you want.
Any ideas for a more suitable forum?
I was thinking last night that something close to crazy glue might work for step #2. ■
Mushroom Fauna
I would have you e-mail dupont as they use "lucite" to encase four leaf clovers also ■
Re: Ageless Mushroom In A Lucite Cube
This isn't really the best forum for a question like this, but I can tell you how to achieve the first step in your process. That is to use freeze drying. This process is available through specialised florists who normally preserve flowers from weddings and so forth. It involves exposing the flowers to low temperatures and low pressures for a period of several days in a specialised vessel.
You can dry mushrooms using this technique without any distortion of shape. Colours may change a little and in addition the colours may be labile to sunlight.
For the second part of your process, I would discuss the problem with suppliers of resins for the preparation of specimens for microscopy. ■
Ageless Mushroom in a Lucite Cube
Hi,
My name is Dan Molter. This is my first post at Bulk-online, so I'll try to make it a good one.
I'm a mycologist looking for help selecting the appropriate materials to preserve mushrooms in a lifelike state.
My vision is to encase mushroom specimens in clear plastic cubes for use in classrooms and natural history museums. I want the specimens to look just like live mushrooms growing in the woods.
Mushrooms are about 90% water, so the first step will be to thoroughly dry the specimens.
Drying causes mushrooms to shrink and become wrinkled, so the second required step would be to 'rehydrate' the specimens with a preserving liquid that will puff them back up. The ideal material for this step will readily wick into the mushroom tissue and subsequently harden, preserving the shape and color of the specimen. I don't know if such a material exists, so this is where I could use some help.
Finally, the preserved specimens can be placed in Lucite or a similar material to protect them forever.
I'll be most grateful for any ideas on a material that could satisfy the requirements of step 2.
Thank you for having a look. All responses are appreciated.
Dan Molter ■