Ozone generators

Barbara Appelbaum <aandh [at] mindspring__com> writes

>I have always heard that ozone is a strong oxidizer and therefore
>cannot be used on art, but this stuff has no long-term value, and my
>main concern is whether the ozone could possibly alter the colors in
>a major way.  I would appreciate information on what kind of
>noticeable changes the ozone can be reasonably expected to cause.  I
>would also appreciate information on whether the ozone really does
>eliminate smells!

I can't say exactly how much fading would occur in objects exposed
to ozone. Barbara is right in stating that ozone is a strong
oxidizing agent, so I would guess that there would be some fading.
It would depend on the concentration of ozone used and the exposure
time. That being said, I once spoke to a local clean-up company in
Ottawa and asked them about concentrations that they use. All they
could tell me was that the operator would turn the valve half-on,
full-on, or whatever. Very helpful!

As Barbara has probably discovered, there's been very little
research done on this to support conservators' claims.  I only know
of Jim Druzik's paper(s) on the subject.  I do know that at least
one of the major document recovery companies in Montreal does not
routinely use ozone, even in domestic situations, and prefers to use
other methods to remove odour.  As to how effective it is in
removing odour, I have heard that it is very effective, which is why
insurance companies advocate its use when they're employing a
clean-up company.  If the smell's gone, so's the problem. That seems
to be their attitude.  As with many things in conservation there's
still only anecdotal evidence.  Clearly, there needs to be more
research in this area.  Perhaps one of the conservation programmes
should consider it as a project?

David Tremain
Preservation Advisor, Security and Emergency Preparedness
Canadian Conservation Institute
Department of Canadian Heritage
Ottawa, Canada K1A 0M5
613-998-3721 Ext. 243
Fax: 613-998-4721
Toll-free 1-866-998-3721
Government of Canada


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:3
                  Distributed: Wednesday, June 2, 2010
                        Message Id: cdl-24-3-005
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