[Yoritomo]

Fossil collectors/Museum curators suggested a process that can stop the famous "Pyrite Disease".

 Pyrite(FeS2) is preoxidised from the mines where it exists in much more wet conditions than in a collection.In microcavities of the specimen the oxidation continues.The only way to stop it is by cleaning all the Fe3+ salts from the microcavities.This could be done with Thioglucolate dissolved in 100% dry alcohol,since even minimum amount of water will produce new Fe3+ sulfates.Then they should be kept in dry conditions with Relative Humidity as close to 0 as possible.

      The bacteria is called Thiobacilus Ferroxidans and it's present and active at almost every enviroment.

      Most say that 0% oxygen conditions is the best way to keep these specimens safe.

[constant thinker]

How about vacuum sealing? It's really cheap. Easy to do. Gentle.

By that I meant use the food vacuum sealers. Thinking about the cost of your specimen though you may want to try a different route.

Thinking about it now, if you have a $10,000 specimen, you should have it sealed with argon gas. I don't think it would be that expensive, and it would be well worth it.

[mnakhla]

sorry i know this isnt answering the question and you may delete this post, but has anyone one else noticed that he stated that he placed HF on the balcony! ...i dont know his living conditions, it it is in an appartment or a house..but HF on the balcony or in a room in the house in general is very horribly dangerous