Cellophane

Would anyone have experience and/or knowledge of using cellophane
for the storage of dried specimens in natural history collections
and of the problems associated with the degradation of this
material?

Our museum has most of its dry echinoderm collection stored in
cellophane bags. Although stored in the dark, the bags are beginning
to appear slightly yellow and are possibly becoming more brittle. I
am looking for information to find out the longevity of cellophane,
the conditions under which it degrades and generally information to
justify the recommendation of replacing the bags with polyethylene
ones before the cellophane totally disintegrates. Any information
would be valuable.

Sue Valis
Conservator
Australian Museum
6 College Street
Sydney NSW 2010
Australia
+61 2 9320 6207
Fax: +61 2 9320 6070




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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:57
                 Distributed: Friday, February 15, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-15-57-010
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