Microchamber paper and cels

[kizu]

Hi. So I noticed several people used microchamber paper on their cels. I was wondering for a regular sized cels, how big of a microchamber paper do you use and how do you place it? Behind the paper insert or behind the cel? I currently only do 1 page per cel, i don't do back to back with the black insert in between to limit the cels reacting to each other.

Finally a conservator I was working with to stabilize a cel suffering from vinegar syndrome didn't really recommend using microchamber. They said microchamber paper is good for paper products like sketches and comics but in the long run isn't good for the cels because of it's negative effects on the plasticizer of the cel acetate and depending on the composition of the paint, can also break down the plasticizer making the cel stiff and over the long term it will have blooming and/or shrinking. Although they admit that it's effective for capturing off gases, thus for vinegar syndrome if it's not yet too bad, it can generally take care of the acetic smell. Would appreciate people's input on this and if you've read material in support of and against microchamber, please let me know. Most i've read is on zeolite and that it does in fact help in that, but I've also read the Getty research about preserving plastic and they did say that these can negatively affect the plasticizer. Thank you.

Note zeolite I'm told is part of the adsorption agents in microchamber paper.

[tarakatsuki]

Interesting to hear that, about not recommending it for cels. If you do use it, you would have to put it in front of the cel. If you were to put it behind the cel on the side with the paint, it could end up stuck to the cel itself.

[kizu]

I ended up using a portion of the microchamber. I used to cover the ENTIRE cel with microchamber in front but now I don't. I put the microchamber at the closed side of the portfolio page. I figure if certain gases couldn't escape in the open end at least they'd be captured in the closed end. That said now I have a bunch of microchamber paper i no longer need. I'll probably put those on my backgrounds and sketches.

I also forgot to add the zeolite is apparently one of the adsorption agents in Microchamber paper.