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<p class="MsoNormal">While I don’t have much to add in terms of bottles, you may want to keep in mind that concentrated sulfuric acid is very hygroscopic and would happily suck out any moisture from the air. So a small leak would naturally get diluted. For
sulfuric, pH 0 can mean anything down to ~5%, or 20x dilution. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mike<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Michael Yakimov<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Research scientist<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Department of Nanoscale Science and Engineering<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">University at Albany - State University of NY<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">253 Fuller rd.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Albany NY 12203<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Phone: 518-437-8609 lab<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">e-mail: <a href="mailto:myakimov@albany.edu"><span style="color:#467886">myakimov@albany.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces@mtl.mit.edu>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Aaron Hryciw<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 22, 2026 18:00<br>
<b>To:</b> Network Fab <labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [labnetwork] H2SO4 and HF Delivery and Acceptance<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hi all, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just to add a datapoint, we have also seen this with sulfuric acid, not infrequently over the past few years (from both Fisher and VWR), but fortunately not with HF. This is usually evident as soon as we open the boxes, seen as visible
droplets of liquid on the bottles (usually sitting near the base of the handle) and/or drips on the sides or bottom of the cardboard boxes. pH test strips on the drips yields a pH of 0, but the acid is not so concentrated as to immediately darken cleanroom
wipes, as you would expect for 95% H<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math",serif">₂</span>SO<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math",serif">₄</span>, so it's a bit of a mystery. We clean these bottles and place them in cabinets in our chemical stock room
until they are brought into the cleanroom as needed. While being stored in the stock room, some of bottles "reoffend", with similar drips showing up again days or weeks later, despite having sat undisturbed. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We have escalated this with the vendors, but still get at least a few (~5–10%) leaky bottles in most of our orders. At this point, we're still not sure whether this points to a manufacturing defect particular lots of bottles and/or caps,
damage during shipping, or something else.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cheers, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> – Aaron<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span></u><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Aaron Hryciw, PhD, PEng (he/him)</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Fabrication Group Manager</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">University of Alberta - nanoFAB</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">W1-060 ECERF Building</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">9107 - 116 Street</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Edmonton, Alberta</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Canada T6G 2V4 Ph:
<a href="tel:(780)%20940-7938" target="_blank">780-940-7938</a></span><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="http://www.nanofab.ualberta.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1155CC">www.nanofab.ualberta.ca</span></a>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Mon, 6 Jul 2026 at 09:30, Prashant Srinivasan <<a href="mailto:prashant@ucsb.edu" target="_blank">prashant@ucsb.edu</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in">
<p>Kathy,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p>Could you elaborate a bit on the nature of the contamination? Appearance? Chemical composition? We purchase from Fisher Scientific and VWR. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p>If you are referring to crystals, especially in BHF, this is normal. The concentration of Ammonium Fluoride is very high, often near saturation and crystallization typically occurs when the temperature drops. If you see crystals around the cap, local evaporation
is the likely cause. In either case, diluting slightly with DI water or bringing up the bottle to 23- 25 C should solve the issue. If you have a large amount of crystals, the chemical composition might have changed. It is hard to say without pictures. Note
that HF (not BHF) should not have crystals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p>Prashant<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On 7/2/2026 11:20 AM, Kathy Anderson wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Hello Lab Network,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">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?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Kathy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div id="m_5967847208555949790m_-8485913537483954077Signature">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#47494A;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><img border="0" width="110" height="110" style="width:1.1458in;height:1.1458in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:~WRD0000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. Block U Logo"></span><span style="color:#47494A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#666666">Kathy Anderson</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:gray"><br>
</span><b><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#666666">Chemical Engineer III</span></i></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:gray"><br>
Utah Nanofab<br>
The University of Utah<br>
O: <a href="tel:(801)%20213-6555" target="_blank">801-213-6555</a> | C: <a href="tel:(801)%20440-1465" target="_blank">
801-440-1465</a><br>
<a href="https://www.nanofab.utah.edu/" target="_blank">https://www.nanofab.utah.edu</a><br>
36 S Wasatch Drive Suite 2500<br>
Salt Lake City, UT 84112<br>
</span><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#666666"><a href="mailto:kathy.anderson@utah.edu" target="_blank">kathy.anderson@utah.edu</a></span></i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:gray"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<pre>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>labnetwork mailing list<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><a href="mailto:labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu" target="_blank">labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><a href="https://mtl.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo.cgi/labnetwork" target="_blank">https://mtl.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo.cgi/labnetwork</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
</blockquote>
<pre>-- <o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Prashant Srinivasan<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Teaching Cleanroom Engineer<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Electrical & Computer Engineering<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Univ. of California Santa Barbara<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><a href="https://www.ece.ucsb.edu/department-resources/electronics-shop/tcr" target="_blank">https://www.ece.ucsb.edu/department-resources/electronics-shop/tcr</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
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