Gelled reagent materials

Abstract

Reagents can be provided in more convenient and readily-utilizable forms by converting the basic desired reagent material into a shapeable solid using gelation techniques (i.e., a non-crystalizing solidification process) for the fluids that are carriers and/or vehicles for the reagent. The resulting solidified gel product can be shaped as desired or needed into such practically useful forms as ribbons, tablets, capsules, pellets, etc. The gelled reagent materials are oftentimes more storeable and have markedly increased shelf-lives over the same reagents, per se, in ungelled form. Additionally, the gelled reagent materials possibilitate very much simplified proportioning, measuring out or supply of desired tare of the reagent material itself by the easy expedient, depending on the shape utilized of the solidified gelled reagent material involved, of depending upon mere number count in the case of pellets, tablets or the like or length of material in the case of ribbon, wire or the like according to the predetermined assay of reagent in any given physical unit of the shaped gelled reagent material. This, as a great convenience and with optimum accuracy, obviates the weighing or otherwise measuring out by normal techniques of the reagent material itself as it is done in conventional practice. The gelled reagent materials react freely and in the expectable way when put in a given reaction mass or material being tested or processed upon disruption of the gel when placed therein giving rise to release of the reagent, per se.