Soluble nylon

Peter N. Krantz <bkfndrs [at] ozemail__com__au> writes

>We recently acquired a few rolls of soluble nylon, a
>Tyvek/Reemay-looking random weave, but which tears very easily
>between the fingers.  It dissolves in alcohol, and melts under heat.
>It is used as both a resizing agent, and also as a heat-activated
>adhesive. These rolls were acquired from a retired conservator, who
>was active during the nineteen eighties.
>
>Our question:  Is this substance still considered of suitable
>conservation-standard, as an adhesive and resizing agent?

I used soluble nylon in the 1980's to consolidate the surface of
archaeological glass. This would have been about 1982. Shortly after
reports started appearing saying that it was not reversible after a
few years so my then museum  stopped using it. As I recall you had
to dissolve it in hot IMS for higher concentrations

Donna Stevens


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:3
                  Distributed: Thursday, June 14, 2001
                        Message Id: cdl-15-3-009
                                  ***