Reusable adhesives

As a student in the MAC program at Queen's, I am currently
conducting my second year research project on reusable adhesives
(such as Blu-Tack), and the treatment of the stains that result from
their use on paper.

Reusable adhesives comprise any of a number of commercial products
available as a blue, white or yellow adhesive putty that is
activated by the warmth and rolling action applied by the fingers.
The majority of reusable adhesive products have dates for first use
in commerce from 1970 to the present.  Through analysis performed at
the Canadian Conservation Institute, I know that one possibly older
reusable adhesive product is comprised of "magnesium silicate like
talc or chrysotile (a form of asbestos) in phthalate plasticized
PVAc medium," as opposed to more recent products that contain
calcium carbonate and rubber.

It has been suggested that because of the ban on asbestos in the
1970s, the older sample probably dates from before the ban. Like
Jane Rutherston, I am interested in any treatments that may have
been undertaken to remove reusable adhesive stains and residues from
paper or parchment.  In addition to treatment methods, I am also
interested in descriptions of any aged products and their stains and
residues as well as in observations about the length of time that it
takes for a stain to form.

Amanda Gould
MAC Candidate
Queen's University
Kingston, ON
Canada


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:24
               Distributed: Wednesday, November 24, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-18-24-025
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