Hi everyone.

Mari is describing the Beilstein test.  It is the cholrine that gives the
bright green flame.  You can do the test with a candle if you have to, but a
hotter flame, with a bunser burner in a lab, or a gas stove is better.

Polyvinylchloride's most common use is in film form. A film would be used to
coat a textile substrate.  One typical example is rainwear.  However in the
1970's and 1980's the fiber was used for draperies.  PCV is not flammable,
although it melts at a very low temperature.  The PVC draperies were used in
commerical applications where acrylic draperies could not be used, because
of the flammability of acrylic.  I don't think just by looking you could
tell the difference in the yarns, as the PVC yarns were soft like acrylic
drapery yarns, and the aesthetics of the draperies were very similiar.


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:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf
Of Marei Hacke
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 11:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: life span of vinyl fabric


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
[log in to unmask]



2008/7/3 Dr. Elizabeth A. Richards <[log in to unmask]>:
> 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:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
> Jennifer Hadley
> Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 9:18 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> 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)
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
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