Mold in rubberized fabric

Alan Hawk <alan.j.hawk.civ<-a t->mail< . >mil> writes

>We have received a world war II-era Civil Defense medical kit.   It
>included a piece "Synthetic Rubber Sheeting."  The item has mold on
>it.  The mold is a white talcum powder appearance.

Are you certain that it is mold?  Many rubber items from that period
did indeed have talcum powder applied to them to absorb migrating
plasticisers and thus to prevent sticking when such items were
folded.

George Bailey
A/g Manager
Preventive, Objects and Large Technology Conservation
Collection Services
Australian War Memorial
GPO Box 345
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
+61 2 6243 4490
Fax: +61 2 6241 7998


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 27:33
                   Distributed: Monday, March 3, 2014
                       Message Id: cdl-27-33-002
                                  ***