Rapid removal of acid from glycol methacrylate for improved histological embedding.

A method for the rapid and complete removal of methacrylic acid from commercial samples of glycol methacrylate is presented. It entails conversion of the acid to an insoluble N-acylurea by treatment with an equivalent amount of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Sections of tissue embedded in polymer prepared from the purified monomer can be stained with basic dyes without simultaneously staining the polymer.