Unlike previous methods, formaldehyde preserved the tissue in such a way as to give the corpse an almost lifelike appearance, and it soon became the method of choice. Lenin, Kemal Atatürk, and Diana, Princess of Wales, were all embalmed with formaldehyde. These days, a new technique called plastinization has been developed by Gunther von Hagens. This involves the removal of water and fat (such as lipids) from the body, and their replacement, using a vacuum technique, with silicone rubber and epoxy resin, a hugely versatile material that is used in all sorts of paints and adhesives and flexible
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