Stability of Cellulose Ester Base Photographic Film: Part V—Recent Findings

Reilly, James M.; Nishimura, Douglas W.; Erbland, C. J.; Bigourdan, Jean-Louis

doi:10.5594/j17707

Cited by 19 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…These include reduction in tensile strength or toughness due to degradation of the polymer (embrittlement), buckling of emulsion away from the base layer (shrinkage and channelling), and surface deposits caused by the migration of plasticiser (crystals or bubbles) (17)(18)(19)(20)(21). Emissions of acetic acid from degraded CTA films have also been shown to induce vinegar syndrome in undegraded films stored nearby, lending cellulose acetate its reputation as a 'malignant' plastic (22,23). More recently, cellulose acetate has been studied due to its potential as a degradable polymer (24,25).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are we overestimating the permanence of cellulose triacetate cinematographic films? A mathematical model for the vinegar syndrome

Ahmad

Cane²,

Townsend³

et al. 2020

Polymer Degradation and Stability

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Among the earliest signs of degradation in cellulose triacetate cinematographic films is the generation of acetic acid due to hydrolytic deacetylation of the polymer, marked by an increase in the acidity of the films and emissions of acetic acid leading to a characteristic vinegar odour. We propose a mathematical model for predicting the onset of the vinegar syndrome which accounts for the autocatalytic effect of acetic acid on the deacetylation reaction. Model parameters are estimated from previously published experimental data from other research groups. These show free acidity changes in cellulose triacetate films subjected to accelerated ageing at temperatures of 70-100 °C. The model is validated against a different set of previously published experimental data of cellulose triacetate films aged at 21 °C and 35 °C, at 20, 35 and 50% relative humidity. The model demonstrates good quantitative agreement with the published experimental data. Predictions of film permanence at lower temperatures, similar to those present in the archives in which the films are typically stored, are made and compared with the predictions of film conservation guidelines. The results indicate that film permanence may be overestimated by existing guidelines, which do not account for autocatalysis in their modelling of the deacetylation rate. Our results suggest that cold storage, a common film conservation strategy, may be less effective at inhibiting degradation than previously thought. As cold storage typically requires film to be kept in confined spaces with limited air movement, conditions which promote autocatalysis, the inclusion of autocatalysis in our model is highly applicable to simulating this environment.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are we overestimating the permanence of cellulose triacetate cinematographic films? A mathematical model for the vinegar syndrome

Ahmad

Cane²,

Townsend³

et al. 2020

Polymer Degradation and Stability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Cellulose acetate ester materials have been widely used in various fields all over the world for their ease of access and safety for about 100 years. In particular, it was used as a substrate for photographic film instead of the highly flammable cellulose nitrate [2]. However, cellulose acetate film can be affected by many diseases such as mildew, vinegar syndrome etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on microbubble of cellulose acetate microfilm of the Republic of China (AD 1912–1949) collected in the Second Historical Archives of China

Jia

et al. 2020

Herit Sci

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The white spots known as microbubbles that are formed in cellulose acetate film, significantly affects the texture of the image. However, the formation of microbubbles and their corresponding microstructure are poorly understood. In this paper, cellulose acetate microfilm from the Republic of China (AD 1912-1949) collected in the Second Historical Archives of China was chosen as a prototype to investigate the causes of microbubble disease for the first time. A comparative study was conducted between the film samples with and without microbubbles. Herein, the microstructural analyses including optical and SEM microscopy were conducted. The crystals in the microbubbles proved to be triphenyl phosphate as identified by NMR spectroscopy and SEM-EDX. Comparative properties of the film substrate with and without microbubbles were measured by TG, XRD and FT-IR spectroscopy. The results show that formation of microbubbles was generally accompanied with the vinegar syndrome and was produced between the protective and emulsion layers with the different types of shapes along the closed structure (the diameter of ~ 0.1-2 mm). The formed microbubble was filled with plasticizer. Based on the above-mentioned results, the possible formation process of microbubble was proposed in the present study. The results can provide support for the cause of microbubbles and basis for the conservation of photographic films.

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“…Cellulose acetate (CA) was regarded to be a versatile material, particularly at the beginning of the 20th century, as it was a safer alternative to the highly flammable cellulose nitrate used in textiles, food, tool handles, and so on [1][2][3]. Its most significant application was as a photographic film base [4][5]. Affected by the properties of materials and the preservation environment, the stability of cellulose acetate lm is suffering from hydrolysis of the ester side chain [6][7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Treatment of Microbubble Disease of 20th Century Cellulose Acetate Microfilm: Application of Ethyecellulose and Microrepair Method 

Jia

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Microbubble disease observed in cellulose acetate microfilm was accompanied by the production of vinegar syndrome, which has a negative influence on the integrity of image. In the present study, cellulose acetate microfilm with microbubble disease from the Republic of China (AD 1912-1949) collected in the Second Historical Archives of China was chosen as a prototype to investigate its treatment methods. A combination of optical microscopy and a stainless-steel needle was used to remove plasticizer exudation within microbubbles. The plasticizer was effectively removed by infiltrating butan-1-ol into the microbubble from a small hole made by the stainless-steel needle. The SEM and laser confocal microscopy were used to study the morphology and roughness of the internal surface of microbubble. It was found that the blurry image could be attributed to the light scattering from the rough surface. Based on the advantages of ethyl cellulose in conservation science, the optimal concentration of ethyl cellulose was selected and used to fill the interior of the microbubble to obtain a clearer image. To determine the protective potential of this filling material, the chemical and mechanical properties of coated film after dry heat, hygrothermal and UV accelerated ageing were measured. Based on the above-mentioned results, it is encouraging that a new microrepair method and its corresponding method are offered in film treatment work.

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Stability of Cellulose Ester Base Photographic Film: Part V—Recent Findings

Cited by 19 publications

References 7 publications

Are we overestimating the permanence of cellulose triacetate cinematographic films? A mathematical model for the vinegar syndrome

Are we overestimating the permanence of cellulose triacetate cinematographic films? A mathematical model for the vinegar syndrome

Study on microbubble of cellulose acetate microfilm of the Republic of China (AD 1912–1949) collected in the Second Historical Archives of China

The Treatment of Microbubble Disease of 20th Century Cellulose Acetate Microfilm: Application of Ethyecellulose and Microrepair Method

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Stability of Cellulose Ester Base Photographic Film: Part V—Recent Findings

Cited by 19 publications

References 7 publications

Are we overestimating the permanence of cellulose triacetate cinematographic films? A mathematical model for the vinegar syndrome

Are we overestimating the permanence of cellulose triacetate cinematographic films? A mathematical model for the vinegar syndrome

Study on microbubble of cellulose acetate microfilm of the Republic of China (AD 1912–1949) collected in the Second Historical Archives of China

The Treatment of Microbubble Disease of 20th Century Cellulose Acetate Microfilm: Application of Ethyecellulose and Microrepair Method&nbsp;

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The Treatment of Microbubble Disease of 20th Century Cellulose Acetate Microfilm: Application of Ethyecellulose and Microrepair Method