Editing Plastination (section)

==Related preservation methods==
Other methods have been in place for thousands of years to halt the decomposition of the body. [[Mummy|Mummification]] used by the [[ancient Egypt]]ians is a widely known method which involves the removal of body fluid and wrapping the body in linens. Prior to mummification, Egyptians would lay the body in a shallow pit in the desert and allow the sun to dehydrate the body.<ref>{{cite web |first=Eric |last=Rymer |url=http://historylink101.net/egypt_1/religion_mummification_history.htm |title=History of Burial Beliefs in Ancient Egypt |publisher=History Link 101 |access-date=11 May 2009}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=May 2009}}

[[Formalin]], an important solution to body preservation, was introduced in 1896 to help with body preservation. Soon to follow formalin, color-preserving embalming solutions were developed to preserve lifelike color and flexibility to aid in the study of the body.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.funeralmuseum.org/pdf/formaldehyde.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050306094856/http://www.funeralmuseum.org/pdf/formaldehyde.pdf |archive-date=6 March 2005 |title=Formaldehyde: Its Development And History Since 1868 |publisher=[[Museum of Funeral Customs]] |access-date=11 May 2009}}</ref>

[[Paraffin wax|Paraffin]] impregnation was introduced in 1925, and the embedding of organs in plastic was developed in the 1960s.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

Body preservation methods current to the 21st century are [[cryopreservation]], which involves the cooling of the body to very low temperatures to preserve the body tissues, plastination, and [[embalming]].<ref>{{Ref patent |country=US |number=5089288 |status=patent |title=Method for Impregnating Tissue Samples in Paraffin |gdate=18 February 1992}}</ref>

Other methods used in modern times include the Silicone S 10 Standard Procedure, the Cor-Tech Room temperature procedure, the Epoxy E 12 procedure, and the Polyester P 35 (P 40) procedure.<ref name="Other">{{cite web|url=http://meduni02.edis.at/plast/plmeth.html |title=Other Plastination Methods |publisher=International Society for Plastination |access-date=19 May 2009 |date=20 October 1998 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515122825/http://meduni02.edis.at/plast/plmeth.html |archive-date=15 May 2009 }}</ref> The Silicone S 10 is the procedure most often used in plastination and creates opaque, natural-looking specimen.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://isp.plastination.org/silicone.html |title=The Silicone S 10 |publisher=International Society for Plastination |access-date=19 May 2009 |year=2008}}</ref> [[Dow Corning Corporation]]'s Cor-Tech Room Temperature Procedure is designed to allow plastination of specimen at [[room temperature]] to various degrees of flexibility using three combinations of polymer, [[crosslinker]], and [[catalyst]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://isp.plastination.org/cortech.html |title=The COR-TECH Room Temperature |publisher=International Society for Plastination |access-date=19 May 2009 |year=2008}}</ref> According to the International Society for Plastination, the Epoxy E 12 procedure is used "for thin, transparent, and firm body and organ slices", while the Polyster P 35 (P 40) preserves "semitransparent and firm brain slices".<ref name=Other/> Samples are prepared for fixation through the first method by deep freezing,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://isp.plastination.org/epoxy.html |title=The Epoxy E 12 |publisher=International Society for Plastination |access-date=19 May 2009 |year=2008}}</ref> while the second method works best following 4–6 weeks of preparation in a formaldehyde mixture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://isp.plastination.org/polyester.html |title=The Polyester P35/P40 |publisher=International Society for Plastination |access-date=19 May 2009 |year=2008}}</ref>