X-Message-Number: 1706 Date: Mon, 1 Feb 93 20:11:36 EST From: Subject: CRYONICS reply to Mike Darwin re cracks Thanks very much. I'm no expert on polymers, but I'd guess that the strengths of the polymers that you tried would have been about as high as the strengths of the ones that I was thinking of. I am basically just guessing based on backbones, with HES having the same sort of ether linkages that polyoxyethylene has and PVP having the same polyvinyl backbone that polyvinyl alcohol has (if I'm interpreting the chemical structure of PVP correctly). So much for the hope of an easy fix to the cracking problem. On a personal note: This is why I feel very uneasy with theoretical arguments. I would NEVER have anticipated that bulk solutions, presumably with a uniform composition, and cooled slowly and presumably very close to uniformly, would crack. Thank you VERY much for the information on what actually happens. Best wishes, -Jeff standard disclaimer: I do not speak for my employer. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1706