[labnetwork] H2SO4 and HF Delivery and Acceptance

[Jeff Salzmann]

While I haven’t seen this issue with sulfuric or hydrofluoric, I have seen this problem with 30% peroxide. Four liter bottles, one was cracked and rebagged….then delivered to the Dean’s office in the original peroxide-soaked cardboard box.

VWR was less than helpful regarding this, same with UPS. I’ve stopped buying from them. I’ve heard bad things about FedEx, but have not seen this firsthand.

Jeff Salzmann
Research Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering
Cleanroom Manager, Shared Instrumentation Laboratories
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
University at Buffalo, 114A Davis Hall
105 White Road
Buffalo, NY 14260-2500
Tel: 716.645.2584

From: labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> on behalf of Kathy Anderson <kathy.anderson at utah.edu>
Date: Monday, July 6, 2026 at 07:12
To: Network Fab <labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>
Subject: [labnetwork] H2SO4 and HF Delivery and Acceptance

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Hello Lab Network,

What is your lab's strategy to minimize the occurrence rate of receiving incoming boxes of H2SO4 or HF bottles with chemical contaminating the inside of the box and/or the outside of the bottles?

Do you have a preferred vendor or vendors you avoid for this reason?  We are experiencing this phenomenon sporadically from multiple vendors.  Some respond by wrapping their bottles or the rims of bottles before shipping for a time, but not indefinitely, and some are only willing to replace.

Kathy

[Block U Logo]
Kathy Anderson
Chemical Engineer III
Utah Nanofab
The University of Utah
O: 801-213-6555 | C: 801-440-1465
https://www.nanofab.utah.edu
36 S Wasatch Drive Suite 2500
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
kathy.anderson at utah.edu

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