Acid scavengers

Doon Laura Lovett <d.l.lovett [at] soton__ac__uk> writes

>... I am looking for ways to prolong the life of
>a pair of 1970s 'fake leather' trousers. ...
>... Polyurethane
>releases acid as it degrades which further catalyses the degradation
>process. I would like to experiment with acid scavengers to see if I
>can slow the rate of degradation.

Another approach would be to avoid the generation of acids by
preventing oxidation in the first place. This could be done by
packaging the trousers in a barrier film bag (eg Escal transparent
barrier film), and by using an oxygen absorber (eg Ageless, or RP
type absorbers).

Side benefits from packaging in barrier film would be protection
from external pollution and contaminants, and the prevention of
activity by microorganisms. Most interesting to note is that RP
oxygen absorber will also scavenge some corrosive gases.

For more information on oxygen free storage, visit
<URL:http://www.keepsafe.ca>

Jerry Shiner
Microclimate Technologies International / Keepsafe Systems
+1-905-629-1999 ext: 701


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 20:12
                 Distributed: Friday, September 1, 2006
                       Message Id: cdl-20-12-002
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