I have several boxes of cheap microscope slides that are frequently stuck together in the box, apparently by a thin film of air trapped between adjacent slides. Does anyone know a solution to separating slides that are stuck together in this manner?
Of course, I intend to buy better materials next time, but I want to use these up.
If contamination is not an issue you can try cooling one side with ice and slide them apart (don't pull them apart).
Dear Douglas
You could try soaking the slides in liquid detergent containing cold water and slide them apart to separate. The air locked in between the slides gets released when water passes through the slides and detergent aids in easier separation. I'm not sure and its just a suggestion that you could try!. If it works then well and good !!
Put all of them in distilled water for a day. The capillary force will push them apart except all the edges are entirely stacked together. You can try to heat and cool, heat and cool as well.
Drying them separately on an organized way will cost more than the slides, I think, except you have some volunteer students.
Hi Douglas,
I agree with the above mentioned methods, using liquids. Ethanol or Acetone worked very well for me handling this issue ;-)
Good luck!
The Steven Galvin answer worked--ice one side, but I found one more step was needed: push them apart with one of those rubber things that help open jars.
If you do not mind occasionally making a very tiny chip in the corners of the slides you are trying to separate, a very fast way is to take a fresh/clean razor blade and carefully slide it in between the slides on one of the corners. If the slides are not 100% aligned, and one hangs over the edge of the other by even as little as 100um, it is even easier. Noting the 7-12 degree taper of a typical blade edge, angle the blade a little, then slide the edge down the face of the overhanging slide like a chisel, right down then between the two slides to separate them. If done right, it should require minimal force too.
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