Ranking Corrosion Efficiency: A Latin Square Study on Rat Lung Microvascular Corrosion Casts

Authors

Dean E. Schraufnagel, University of Illinois at Chicago

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts is an important tool for the study of microvascular structure but few systematic studies on methods of specimen preparation have been reported. This study sought to determine the relative importance of factors involved in corrosion. It compared potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and water as major corrosive agents. It tested the size of the tissue sample, and the use of prealkali autolysis, detergent, and proteolytic enzymes in a Latin square designed study. The main findings were that sodium and potassium hydroxide were better than water (P < 0.0001) and the longer the corrosion time the better corroded the samples were (P < 0.0001 ). Although not a controlled factor, higher room temperature was also associated with better corrosion. The use of proteolytic enzymes, detergent, and warm tap water alone before the alkali treatment did not significantly improve the corrosion in this study, although this does not preclude an effect with another experimental design.

Recommended Citation

Schraufnagel, Dean E. (1989) "Ranking Corrosion Efficiency: A Latin Square Study on Rat Lung Microvascular Corrosion Casts," Scanning Microscopy: Vol. 3: No. 1, Article 31.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy/vol3/iss1/31