Deterioration of UV filters

Colin Williamson <smileplas<-a t->aol< . >com> writes

>Forgive me if this has been posted before, but acrylic diffusers are
>generally regarded as a severe fire risk these days. The severity of
>the fire in Norwich library has been associated with acrylic
>diffusers and I understand that they are shortly to be removed from
>the marketplace in the UK.

No apologies are required on the subject of fire protection and
acrylic sheeting.  Are you indeed talking about ordinary acrylic
sheet?  Given the volume of the stuff in most museums, at least in
the US, this matter needs to be investigated and brought forcibly to
all our attentions.  Information on fires in museums, libraries and
archives, and any historic buildings is of particular use to many
conservators because it seems to work remarkably well in moving
collections management issues up the institutional priority list.  In
addition, information on how these fires start is clearly of direct
use in preventing more of them.

B. Appelbaum

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:77
                   Distributed: Monday, March 3, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-77-015
                                  ***