J.CAC VOLUME 38 (2013)
Evaluation of Selected Adhesive Tapes and Heat-set Tissues – A Final Update
This paper is the final report on the tested properties of selected adhesive tapes and heat-set tissues which should help conservators understand their stability and their impact on paper. The tested properties include: the pH after 4 years of dark aging; the change in colour of the carrier side of the products and of paper substrates to which they were attached after oven aging and after 4 years of dark aging; the photographic activity test (PAT); and the mechanical and solvent removability of the products from 1870s commercial printed paper and a 1970s resin-coated (RC) photographic paper after oven aging and after 4 years of dark aging. The majority of the products were neutral (and remained so on aging), but some were slightly alkaline or acidic. Only one product discoloured the paper substrate on the reverse significantly after oven aging, while no product did so after 4 years of dark aging. However, the carrier side of several products discoloured substantially on oven aging, although only two on dark aging. Since only 40% of the products passed the PAT test, the results will be of interest to those using these products in the proximity of photographs. Generally, products were easier to remove from the RC paper than from the 1870s commercial printed paper. Aging tended to decrease removability, although it did not change the removability much for several products. Conservators can use the removability data to determine how difficult a specific product might be to remove mechanically and what solvents may be effective in its removal. Also, the results should help conservators make informed decisions on heat-set tissue choice. A few products exhibited good results across all tests.
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