Odor

Richard C. Borges <dbumca [at] aol__com> writes

>Elizabeth Buschor, Senior Paper Conservator at the Upper Midwest
>Conservation Association, is treating several works of art on paper
>that have acquired a cigar-smoke smell.  She has tried a general
>airing out, in combination with lengthy exposure times to unscented
>kitty litter in a chamber.  The smell has not been completely
>removed.  Has anyone experienced a successful treatment in removing
>cigar-smoke smell?

Over the past ten years, I have been working with zeolites for odor
removal from various materials, from cartilage to shoe leather, with
good results.  It is possible that the kitty litter used was not
pure zeolite.  I have had the best success recently by using a
zeolite marketed under the name "Alanite" and sold by the Oreck
Vacuum Company at one of their local stores (Twin Cities, MN, metro
area; this is not an endorsement for any particular product).  I
think that the key to the success of the odor removal is to have the
specimen and the zeolite in a vacuum chamber under at least -25
mmHg.  That appears to increase the effectiveness of the zeolite
adsorbance, and speeds up the process.  If you need further
information, please contact me off-list.  Thanks,

Paul S. Storch
Senior Objects Conservator/Section Head/Internal Unit Preparation
    Specialist
Daniels Objects Conservation Laboratory (DOCL)
B-109.1, Minnesota History Center
345 Kellogg Blvd. West
St. Paul, MN  55102-1906
651-297-5774
Fax: 651-297-2967


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:57
                  Distributed: Friday, April 27, 2001
                       Message Id: cdl-14-57-008
                                  ***