Boxes and PVA

Martin Strebel <m.strebel [at] pop__agri__ch> writes

>Some years ago in our workshop, we stopped making boxes with PVA for
>books which left our conservation workshop, because of the acid
>hydrolysis problem creating after twenty to forty years probably an
>acid environment within the box.

One wonders if the hazards of PVA are not minimal after it is dry.
In any case, other adhesives are available, such as methyl
cellulose.

George Leake
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
Conservation Department
UT Austin

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:58
                 Distributed: Friday, January 15, 1999
                       Message Id: cdl-12-58-011
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