Black Hills Institute paleontologist uses Preval to spray and preserve dinosaur fossils

Matt Larson, paleontologist at the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, buys Preval by the case to apply polyvinyl acetate to nearly every fossil they have. For more important fossils, they make molds from silicone to produce replicas of the fossils, which are then used for further study.  With the polyvinyl acetate and Paraloid B-72 (a durable and non-yellowing acrylic polymer), they spray Preval to seal the bones, so that when they pull up the silicone, they don’t pull up a chunk of fossil and bones with it.  Preval is an essential part of the process to make replicas of the fossils without compromising the integrity of the original fossils.

Watch Matt Seney, another paleontologist at the Black Hills Institute, treat the bones of a Triceratops with Preval!