Archival Polyethylen film based brands and products

[Joel Obrecht]

I just read, to my utter astonishment, that given more than 40% of hygrometry and 15°C (60F), triacetate cellulose basically degrades in less than 100 years. Given the proper warmth and humidity conditions, it could be as short as 10 years. The reaction is called vinegar syndrome, starts within the negative, and as degradation by-products reinforce the reaction, they are basically unstoppable once started.

So, I started this thread for the people concerned about very long term archival properties of their negatives. Especially people that could not afford cold storage of their negatives.

List of Polyethylen based film :

Black and white :
Rollei retro 80s

Color :

I'll update this list whenever I find more info.

Also, now I understand why one should avoid acidic chemicals in his process, especially the fixer. I'll also put negatives in a composter to see how it degrades in such an environment, because triacetateffilm is fully biodegradable.

 

[AgX]

There never was a Polyethylene based film. And there never will be.


I would not call Triacetate film "fully biodegradable".

 

[DREW WILEY]

Stable film base is basically polyester. Most (not all) sheet films are polyester. This is also quite dimensionally stable. Acetate is common with roll films. But I wouldn't worry about triacetate in dry well ventilated storage conditions. The demon film base was nitrate or celluloid. It could decompose inflammable. If you want to see what actually happens with triacetate over the next hundred years, just stick around that long yourself and watch. You'll decompose long before it does!

 

[foc]

You'll decompose long before it does!

I think I have already started !!!