Plastination by an Acid Curing Polymer at Room Temperature: A Pink City Technique

Plastination was invented at the Anatomical Institute of Heidelberg University, Germany by Dr. Gunther Von Hagens in the year 1979, which permits excellent preservation of biological material. Our objective was to develop cost effective plastination technique by use of acid curing polymer as compared to standard S10 technique for preparation of plastinated specimens used for teaching. Specimens were fixed in formalin, dehydrated in acetone, degreased in xylene, and finally impregnated with acid curing polymer melamyne with its hardener and finally dried and painted at room temperature. Clean, desiccated, odorless, aesthetically pleasing, non-toxic, portable and durable specimens were produced which can be used as teaching aids. Cost of plastination using standard S10 technique is high so by using indigenous chemicals it is possible to build a library of real specimen for normal, exotic and pathological anatomy at much lower cost.