Fire retardants

Does anyone have experience with using fire retardants on paper and
knowledge about which ones damage the paper over time? An artist
friend was required to use a flame retardant on a public art piece
she did in handmade paper, and after about three and a half years
she found that it yellowed considerably. The flame retardant is the
most likely culprit because she has used the same paper (abaca) in
other settings without trouble, and there is an obvious pattern to
the yellowing that corresponds to the way that the flame retardant
liquid was applied with a spray-mister.

She had obtained this flame retardant, which was specifically sold
for paper, from a theatrical supplier. Unfortunately she did not
keep track of the brand name. As public art commissions often
stipulate fire proofing it would be helpful to know if there were
any products that could safely be used without fear of this problem
re-occurring.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on how to diminish the stains
on the pieces with existing damage?

Tatiana Ginsberg
artist and papermaker


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:34
               Distributed: Wednesday, December 12, 2007
                       Message Id: cdl-21-34-021
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