Soluble nylon

We recently acquired a few rolls of soluble nylon, a
Tyvek/Reemay-looking random weave, but which tears very easily
between the fingers.  It dissolves in alcohol, and melts under heat.
It is used as both a resizing agent, and also as a heat-activated
adhesive. These rolls were acquired from a retired conservator, who
was active during the nineteen eighties.

Our question:  Is this substance still considered of suitable
conservation-standard, as an adhesive and resizing agent?  Might it
be that, being synthetic in nature, its use as a resizer of paper
makes it somewhat "invasive", if that is the correct term.  And
similarly so as an adhesive.

Peter Krantz
Book Restorations
Sydney, Australia.

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:2
                 Distributed: Wednesday, June 13, 2001
                        Message Id: cdl-15-2-007
                                  ***