Potassium carbonate - Answers Is an activating substance (K2C03)
Modifying agents - Answers buffers, humectants, water conditioners and inorganic salts
Buffers - Answers • Maintain pH of 6.5 to 9.0 to allow proper functioning of formaldehyde
• At time of death the pH drops but decomposition causes it to swing back up
• Acidity cause polymerization of formaldehyde into paraformaldehyde
• Strongly alkaline conditions cause formaldehyde to decompose
• Examples: borax, sodium phosphate, citrates, and sodium salt of EDTA
Humectants - Answers Moisture retaining agents
• Make tissue more pliant and flexible
• Coating effect: wrap around formaldehyde molecules to prevent direct contact with proteins until
tissues are saturated with the preservative
• Examples: glycols (dihydroxy alcohols), glycerol (trihydroxy alcohol), sorbitol, other polyhydroxy
alcohols and water soluble lanolin compounds
• Lanolinisanemollientwheninjected into the body; gives soft life-like feel to the body
Anticoagulants - Answers • If hard water is used in diluting concentrated embalming fluids the ionized
calcium will initiate the clotting mechanism of blood in the corpse
• Water softeners or conditioners are added to embalming fluids to remove any calcium present in the
water
• The water conditioners are called anticoagulants b/c they prevent blood coagulation
• Reduce the surface tension at the cell membrane allowing embalming fluid to flow into tissues from
the capillaries
• Reduces surface tension by reducing molecular cohesion of the liquid so that it can flow through
smaller apertures
• Examples: sodium lauryl sulfate and sulfonates
Dyes - Answers • assist in restoration of tissue pigmentation
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