Offgassing from foam core boards

I am a subscriber to the Professional Picture Framers Association
(PPFA) discussion list, and there has been an ongoing discussion
recently about "off-gassing" from the polystyrene foam centers of
archival quality mounting boards such as Fomecore and Art Core
brands.  The framers have been taught this at one of their training
seminars, but no one has been specific about what VOC's, if any, are
off-gassing. I have checked my notes and literature, and short of
contacting the technical services people at Fomecore, I cannot find
anything that says the material isn't inert.  I checked the CCI ARS
files and cannot find an analysis.  I have recommended to the list
that people consider the use of the Art Core board with Microchamber
materials added that TALAS carries.

I'd appreciate it if anyone who has an answer on this, or who can
send me in the right direction to get one, would respond.  I'll post
the answer, or a synopsis, on the PPFA list.  It's important that
art framers get the right answers from professional conservators and
conservation scientists, because at the present, in my opinion, they
are on a parallel, but slightly different track in terms of basic
conservation knowledge. Thanks in advance,

Paul S. Storch
Objects Conservator
John and Martha Daniels Objects Conservation Laboratory (JMD-OCL)
B-109.1, Minnesota History Center
345 Kellogg Blvd West
St. Paul, MN  55102-1906
612-297-5774
Fax: 612-297-2967

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:53
                 Distributed: Friday, December 12, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-11-53-004
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