Re: [ARSCLIST] A stinky puzzle

[Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx]

Practically all film is on an acetate base. Slide film and negatives are  
usually stored in ways that provide more than adequate ventilation or absorption  
of the acetic acid so vinegar syndrome doesn't seem to be a problem,  but it 
certainly is for movie film.
 
Kodak magnetic tape smelled strongly of acetic acid when it was new, even  
the polyester base. The entire plant where it was manufactured did. I haven't  
seen degradation of even the triacetate based tape in my possession, but you 
had  better have good ventilation where you open a sealed bag of the stuff.
 
I just checked reels of Kodak 21A (2), 21P, 31A, and Eastman A 301.   The 
Durol (A - Triacetate) is translucent, though less so than other acetate.  The P 
tape is definitely opaque. One of the acetate reels was in an unsealed  
plastic bag and it, and the 10" reels of 31A and A301 in their boxes,  definitely 
smelled of vinegar while the 21A unbaked in its box and the 21P did  not 
noticeably. I didn't try to run the tape to check condition but the packs  were 
uneven and there was a note in one indicating it was warped whenever it was  last 
used, probably a decade or two ago.
 
It is possible that the high concentration of acetic acid in a  sealed bag of 
slides and tape might damage the slides. 
 
Mike Csontos
 
 
In a message dated 4/20/2007 2:27:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,  
akolovos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

Folks,

Last week I opened up a plastic shopping bag that  contained to things: a 
slide carousel filled with 35mm slides and a reel  of tape.  The pair 
form a slide-tape show on the topic of,  apparently, maple sugaring.

The first thing to greet me was the  pronounced stink of vinegar.  Very 
pronounced.

I assumed the  tape was the culprit and put it aside to reek on its own. 
However,  upon holding it up to light later, I did not encounter the 
usual acetate  translucence--the pack was totally opaque.

This got me thinking about  the slides again.  Did Kodak (or anyone for 
that matter, since the  slides in the carousel seem to be a slightly 
mixed bag) produce acetate  slide film?  Could the slides be going vinegary?

And about the  tape--it's a 7" reel of 1/4" tape.  Poorly packed.  the 
backing  of the tape has "Eastman Kodak Co" printed on it.  It's in a 
black  plastic Sctoch 211 box (the kind with the smoked plastic drop 
front) and  on a blue plastic Scotch reel.  It is my guess that the 
recording  dates from the mid 1960s--this is going on information from 
the donor  (whose father made the recording).

This whole thing confuses me a bit  because it undermines two basics of 
what I've been taught on the  matter::

1. Only acetate will develop vinegar syndrome
2. Acetate  tape will appear translucent when held up to light.

I am forced to  consider that it could be a polyester tape with a vinegar 
problem /or/ an  acetate tape that is opaque when held up to light.

If the slides are  going vinegary, could the vinegar problem have an 
impact on  polyester-backed tape?  Did Kodak make a non-translucent 
acetate  backing?

In any event, after separating the tape from the slides, the  slides 
still stink, but not nearly as bad, while the tape (which  admittedly is 
somewhat sealed in it's case) stinks as bad as  ever.

Any thoughts?

Andy

-- 

Andy  Kolovos
Archivist/Folklorist
Vermont Folklife Center
3 Court Street ;  P.O. Box 442
Middlebury, VT 05753
(802) 388-4964
akolovos @  vermontfolklifecenter.org
http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org







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