1 PURPOSE

Many museum collections, including ethnographic and archaeological collections, are stored in simple flat tray formats. Without supplemental support, artifacts that have flaking, powdering, spalling, and other forms of surface deterioration may experience increased damage resulting from shifting, abrasion, and impact. Traditional padding materials (cotton or polyester batting, tissue paper, or plastic foams) may expose these artifacts to additional deterioration through abrasion and because the artifact surface can catch on or entangle with them. The use of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film in storage support systems reduces these risks.