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252549

Sigma-Aldrich

Formaldehyde solution

Formaldehyde solution

ACS reagent, 37 wt. % in H2O, contains 10-15% Methanol as stabilizer (to prevent polymerization)

Synonym(s):

Formalin

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About This Item

Linear Formula:
HCHO
CAS Number:
50-00-0
Molecular Weight:
30.03
Beilstein:
1209228
MDL number:
MFCD00003274
UNSPSC Code:
12352114
PubChem Substance ID:
24855218
NACRES:
NA.21
Pricing and availability is not currently available.

grade

ACS reagent

Quality Level

200

vapor density

1.03 (vs air)

vapor pressure

52 mmHg ( 37 °C)
52 mmHg ( 37 °C)

form

liquid

autoignition temp.

572 °F

contains

10-15% Methanol as stabilizer (to prevent polymerization)

concentration

36.5-38.0%
37 wt. % in H2O

impurities

≤0.006 meq/g Titr. acid

ign. residue

≤0.005%

color

APHA: ≤10

refractive index

n20/D 1.3765

solubility

water: soluble

density

1.09 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

anion traces

chloride (Cl-): ≤5 ppm
sulfate (SO42-): ≤0.002%

cation traces

Fe: ≤5 ppm
heavy metals: ≤5 ppm (by ICP-OES)

suitability

suitable for manufacturing use (Laboratory chemicals)

SMILES string

[H]C([H])=O

InChI

1S/CH2O/c1-2/h1H2

InChI key

WSFSSNUMVMOOMR-UHFFFAOYSA-N

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General description

Formaldehyde (formalin) is produced by oxidation of methanol. It is made of 37% formaldehyde and impurities such as methanol, small amounts of formic acid, aldehydes and ketones. It is used as a denaturant in formaldehyde-agarose gel electrophoresis of RNA.[1][2]

Application

Formaldehyde solution has been used as a fixing agent to fix cells during immunofluorescence imaging and for cross-linking cells during chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay.[3]
Formaldehyde solution has been used for cross-linking/fixing of cells in ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) assay.[4][5] It has been used for fixing of cells for imaging.[6][7]

Physical form

This product is a solution of approximately 37% by weight of formaldehyde gas in water.

Signal Word

Danger

Hazard Classifications

Acute Tox. 2 Inhalation - Acute Tox. 3 Dermal - Acute Tox. 3 Oral - Carc. 1B - Eye Dam. 1 - Flam. Liq. 3 - Muta. 2 - Skin Corr. 1B - Skin Sens. 1 - STOT SE 1 - STOT SE 3

Target Organs

Eyes,Central nervous system, Respiratory system

Storage Class Code

3 - Flammable liquids

WGK

WGK 3

Flash Point(F)

132.8 °F - closed cup

Flash Point(C)

56 °C - closed cup

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Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Lot/Batch Number
MKCW1343
MKCV9749
MKCX0729
MKCV9260
MKCW4227

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Intracellular protein and nucleic acid measured in eight cell types using deep-ultraviolet mass mapping.
Cheung MC et al.
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Slug contributes to cancer progression by direct regulation of ERa signaling pathway.
Li Y et al.
International Journal of Oncology, 46, 1461-1461 (2015)
Farrell RE
RNA Methodologies: A Laboratory Guide for Isolation and Characterization (2010)
SIRT6 protects against endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis in mice.
Xu S et al.
Aging (Albany. NY.), 8, 1064-1064 (2016)
Mitochondrial translocation of alpha-synuclein is promoted by intracellular acidification.
Cole NB et al.
Experimental Cell Research, 314, 2076-2076 (2008)
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Questions

1–10 of 16 Questions  

  1. How is shipping temperature determined? And how is it related to the product storage temperature?

    1 answer

    1. Products may be shipped at a different temperature than the recommended long-term storage temperature. If the product quality is sensitive to short-term exposure to conditions other than the recommended long-term storage, it will be shipped on wet or dry-ice. If the product quality is NOT affected by short-term exposure to conditions other than the recommended long-term storage, it will be shipped at ambient temperature. As shipping routes are configured for minimum transit times, shipping at ambient temperature helps control shipping costs for our customers. For more information, please refer to the Storage and Transport Conditions document: https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/deepweb/assets/sigmaaldrich/marketing/global/documents/316/622/storage-transport-conditions-mk.pdf

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  2. How can I determine the shelf life / expiration / retest date of this product?

    1 answer

    1. If this product has an expiration or retest date, it will be shown on the Certificate of Analysis (COA, CofA). If there is no retest or expiration date listed on the product's COA, we do not have suitable stability data to determine a shelf life. For these products, the only date on the COA will be the release date; a retest, expiration, or use-by-date will not be displayed.
      For all products, we recommend handling per defined conditions as printed in our product literature and website product descriptions. We recommend that products should be routinely inspected by customers to ensure they perform as expected.
      For products without retest or expiration dates, our standard warranty of 1 year from the date of shipment is applicable.
      For more information, please refer to the Product Dating Information document: https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/deepweb/assets/sigmaaldrich/marketing/global/documents/449/386/product-dating-information-mk.pdf

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  3. Can you store formaldehyde in plastic?

    1 answer

    1. This product is packaged in glass bottles. Generally, formaldehyde solution can be used in plastic containers. However, it is advised that the unused material be preserved in its original packaging.

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  4. What type of packaging for different packages?

    1 answer

    1. This product is packaged in amber glass bottles with polypropylene caps with HDPE liners. The bottle sizes are as follows:
      252549-25 ML in 50 ml bottles
      252549-100 ML in 100 ml bottles
      252549-500ML in 500 ml bottles
      252549-1L in 1L bottles
      252549- 4L in 4L bottles

      Helpful?

  5. Can formaldehyde solution 37% be diluted to 10% formalin for fixing cells for staining? Do you dilute it with around 2.7 part water? Thank you!

    1 answer

    1. How much water should be added to 100mL of a 37% solution to reduce its strength to a 10% solution?
      Use C1 x V1= C2 x V2
      37% x 100ml = 10% x V2
      Therefore V2 = (37% x 100ml) / 10%
      = 370 mL

      Subtract the total original volume from the new volume.
      370 mL - 100 mL = 270 mL
      So to reduce 100mL of 37% to 10% solution, add 270 mL of water to 100 mL of Formaldehyde solution - 252549-25ML.

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  6. Which formaldehyde solution is recommended for use with the HT102A Reticulum kit?

    1 answer

    1. When a silver stain procedure recommends a 10% formalin solution, it is referring to a 10% aqueous formalin solution, which is prepared by diluting 1 part of 37% to 40% formaldehyde with 9 parts deionized water. For histology, it is advisable to use ACS reagents when the product meets ACS Specifications. Suitable products for this purpose would be product numbers 252549 or FX0410. If a 37% to 40% formaldehyde solution is available, it should work; however, it's important to avoid using old bottles of this solution that have been in the lab for several years, as impurities can form over time. Solutions used in histological procedures should typically be replaced every 2 years to ensure effectiveness.

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  7. Is the methanol content in the CoA expressed as volume percent or weight percent?

    1 answer

    1. The methanol content is expressed as weight percent.

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  8. Do you offer any aqueous paraformaldehyde solutions?

    1 answer

    1. Product No. 252549 is an aqueous solution of formaldehyde with methanol present to prevent polymerization of the formaldehyde to paraformaldehyde.  Over time (e.g., if a lot of the methanol evaporates), the solution may precipitate the insoluble paraformaldehyde. To break up that polymer, gentle heating should be sufficient. The polymer form has very low solubility in water.

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  9. What is the Department of Transportation shipping information for this product?

    1 answer

    1. Transportation information can be found in Section 14 of the product's (M)SDS.To access the shipping information for this material, use the link on the product detail page for the product.

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  10. Is the concentration of Product No. 252549, Formaldehyde solution, expressed as a weight percent solution?

    1 answer

    1. Yes, 37% is a reference to weight percent solution.  Unless otherwise noted, this is the standard practice for reporting concentration by percent. In terms of volume percent, this solution would be approximately 40% by volume.

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1–10 of 16 Questions  

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