Some characteristics of the buffer vehicle in glutaraldehyde‐based fixatives

Abstract

SUMMARY The pH of sixteen different buffer vehicles is lowered by the addition of glutaraldehyde. This is the case even if the concentration of the buffer is as high as 0.2 m and that of the glutaraldehyde as low as 2%. Graphs are given which make it possible to determine which buffer has the highest buffering capacity at pH‐values between 6.5 and 8. Graphs illustrating the influence of concentrations of glutaraldehyde between 1% and 5% on the dissociation constant of these buffers make it possible to formulate a glutaraldehyde‐based fixative in which an optimally‐buffered vehicle can contribute to the attainment of an osmotically‐balanced fixative.