Funori

Does anyone have detailed information about how the Japanese remove
the pigments from Funori? The very informative JAIC article by
Joseph Swider and Martha Smith (JAIC 44, No 2, 2005) goes into
detail about how different labs deal with the dried already bleached
material available from three US sources. It doesn't give much
detail on how the raw material is bleached in Japan other than to
say

   "Many modern processes use a bleaching agent such as potassium
    hydroxide or sodium peroxide after soaking, lightening the color
    of the seaweed to an orange-yellow. The fibers are shaped into
    mats, traditionally placed in the sun for further bleaching, and
    the dry mats are cut and rolled."

    <URL:http://cool.conservation-us.org/jaic/articles/jaic44-02-005.html>

We are interested in the possibility that some of these bleaching
agents may remain in the industrially prepared product as
contaminants that may account for the various results experienced by
different labs. All funoris are not apparently created equal.

Rod Stewart
Historic Plaster Conservation Services Limited
905-885-8764


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:13
                  Distributed: Sunday, August 19, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-26-13-025
                                  ***