Re: life span of vinyl fabric

[Marei Hacke <marei.hacke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Vinyl is simply a general term for a wide variety of synthetic
materials with hugely varying properties. For example
polyvinylchloride is comparatively unstable while polyvinylacetate is
a pretty stable material and then there is also polyvinylalcohol and
many blends of these polymers with each other or with polymers such as
acrylonitriles. You mentioned vinyl textiles - I would guess that they
are vinylacetate rather than a vinylchloride as I have only every seen
PVC coatings or sheets but not PVC fibres (but I might be wrong about
that). You can do a simple flame test to determine whether you are
dealing with PVC: Heat a copper wire until it glows red. Touch the hot
wire to the plastic to melt a small amount of the plastic onto the
wire. Return the wire tip with the plastic attached into the flame. If
the material is PVC, a bright green flame will be visible.
I am not sure if a polyvinylacetate fabric would really last 100 years
but it would certainly last a lot longer than PVC. The adhesive
Mowilith which is widely used in textile conservation is also a
polyvinylacetate polymer and is generally regarded as stable. Once
vinylacetate breaks down it does give off acetic acid though - so it's
not a 'perfect' conservation material.
Best wishes,
Marei

Marei Hacke PhD
Scientist
Conservation and Scientific Research
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London, WC1B 3DG
Tel.: 0044-(0)2073238953
mhacke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



2008/7/3 Dr. Elizabeth A. Richards <elizabeth.richards@xxxxxxxxxxx>:
> Good morning,
>
> My experience with pvc sleeves for slide holders and for binders which held
> archival material (private collections from donors) is that it does not take
> 10 years to see deterioration.  The leaching of the plasticizers is
> dependant on what plasticizers is used.  The less expensive, lower molecular
> weight (for industry) plasticizers would leach more quickly than higher
> molecular weight plascticizers.
>
> For the binders ink from the facing page of the printed materials would
> transfer to the inside binder cover.  For slide holders there would be
> shrinkage (rippling of the windows) and sometimes beads of deterioration
> (looks like small droplets of water) on the inside of the slide windows.
> Presumably the deterioration on the outer side of the covers would have been
> brushed off in handling or perhaps evaporated.
>
> Elizabeth A. Richards, Ph.D.,P.H.Ec.
> Professor Emerita
> University of Alberta
> 780 - 433-3782
> #804, 9908 - 114 Street
> Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
> T5K 1R1
> (winter 250 423-2018)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Textile Conservators [mailto:TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
> Jennifer Hadley
> Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 9:18 AM
> To: TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: life span of vinyl fabric
>
> Hello all,
>
>
>
>   Do any of you have, or know where I can find information on the life span
> of vinyl fabric?  My colleagues have suggested will last 100 years, but I
> thought it had more of a 10 year life span.
>
> Thanks much!
>
>
>
> Jennifer Hadley
>
> Museum of Church History and Art
>
> Registrar/Textile Conservator
>
> 801-240-0297
>
> 801-240-5342 (fax)
>
> hadleyj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
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