Chartham Translucent

Babette Gehnrich <bgehnrich [at] mwa__org> writes

>I wondered if anyone has information regarding the permanence and
>aging properties of the paper "Chartham Translucent" made by Reich
>Paper of NY.

In 1994 the CCI took cold extraction pH of a sample of Paper
Technologies Transparent Paper 90/95 and found the paper to be
neutral, with no buffer or alkaline reserve.  CCI said that since
that paper was neutral and of the same composition as Paper
Technologies' Photosafe Paper, which had passed the PAT test, we
could assume this other Paper Technologies paper would pass the PAT
test too.  It could therefore be used as a permanent interleaving
for photos (and of course works of art on paper).

In 2000, we needed a translucent paper for making corners for
temporarily mounting photographs and other works of art for
exhibition.  We could no longer get the Paper Technologies paper and
so we looked into the Chartham paper.  Given the manufacturer's
description of the paper as made of 100% pure cellulose fibre and
having found it to be neutral (according to our own simple pH test
with test papers) we assumed the Chartham paper would pass the PAT
test too.  But we did not have the PAT test carried out (due to the
CCI's testing backlog at the time).  We used Chartham translucent at
that time to make corners for temporarily mounting works of art on
paper and photos for display.

If I was considering using it in permanent contact with photographs
I would probably get the PAT test done to be safe, but I think that,
as long as this paper's specs have not changed since 2000, I would
trust it for use with works of art on paper.

Karen Potje
Head, conservation/Preservation Department
Canadian Centre for Architecture


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:67
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 28, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-67-008
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