[NHCOLL-L:4288] re: Nalgene paper and Tyvek

Mon Apr 6 12:53:20 EDT 2009

Hi all

Just to add to this discussion - the material from Alpha Systems is spun bound POLYESTER and not polyethylene - not sure if they are the same thing or similar but thought I would clarify.  As John mentioned, Alpha Systems is naturally very cagey about the exact makeup of this material so that they can keep a monopoly on the market.  I am fairly confident that if we shipped off pieces to enough places we could find someone else who could supply it.

Also, I have had sample labels in 95% ethanol, 40% formalin and glycerin on a window ledge in full sun here at KU for about 5 years now as a very informal test and have noticed no yellowing, brittling, degradation of the media and no fading, peeling ort degradation of the print on the labels even with rubbing.  They seem to be holding up very well in all three solutions...

Andy

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   V                V                V
Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager/Specify Usability Lead
University of Kansas
Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Research Center
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
USA

Tel: (785) 864-3863
Fax: (785) 864-5335
Email: ABentley at ku.edu       

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________________________________

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of John E Simmons
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 7:33 AM
To: Moore, Simon
Cc: halford at sfu.ca; amsnyder at unm.edu; NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:4287] re: Nalgene paper and Tyvek

Simon,
Yes, it could.  The company that manufactures the medium won't tell us exactly what is in it.  On the other hand, no one has (yet) reported any problems with it.

--John

On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 6:41 AM, Moore, Simon <simon.moore at hants.gov.uk> wrote:

Hi John,

Many thanks for this often non-realised piece of information about the relative instability of Tyvek.

Could  this UV-instability also apply to labels of spun-bound polyethylene (cf. Tyvek) which are currently being experimented using 'hot printers' for labelling fluid-preserved material?

With all good wishes, 
Simon Moore, MIScT, FLS, ACR, 
Senior Conservator of Natural Sciences. 
Hampshire County Council 
Recreation & Heritage Department, 
Museums & Archives Service, 
Chilcomb House, Chilcomb Lane, 
Winchester SO23 8RD. UK. 
Internal  8 327 6737 
01962 826737 
http://www.hants.gov.uk/museum/biology 

________________________________

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of John E Simmons
Sent: 03 April 2009 15:35
To: halford at sfu.ca
Cc: amsnyder at unm.edu; NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:4285] re: Nalgene paper

The person who posted the query about Tyvek seems to have the terminology a bit confused.  Tyvek is not considered archival (meaning stable in the long-term), but is considered inert.  Polymers are not archivally stable systems.  Tyvek is a form of spun-bonded polyethylene, and like any polyethylene, it is susceptible to deterioration caused by exposure to UV.  It is not surprising that it disintegrates inside the walls of houses, considering the dose of UV it gets before the walls go up.  It is not surprising that a map printed on spun-bonded polyethylene, exposed to UV from natural light and probably unfiltered fluorescents would disintegrate, either.  If you can avoid exposure to UV, spun-bonded polyethylene can be reasonably stable, but how long it will last depends on the formulation--it gets loaded up with other materials to give it color, texture, rigidity, and so forth, any of which can hasten its demise.  The company selling it may call it archival, but this does not make it archival.

--John

John E. Simmons
Museologica
128 E. Burnside Street
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010
simmons.johne at gmail.com
303-681-5708
www.museologica.com
and
Adjunct Curator of Collections
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery
Penn State University
19 Deike Building
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802-2709
jes67 at psu.edu

On Thu, Apr 2, 2009 at 11:44 PM, Steve Halford <halford at sfu.ca> wrote:

This was just posted to SCIART-L:

From: Andie Thrams <andiethrams at EARTHLINK.NET>
Date: April 2, 2009 5:48:45 PM CDT
To: BOOK_ARTS-L at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: [BKARTS] Tyvek Tales
Reply-To: Book_Arts-L <BOOK_ARTS-L at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>

Two tyvek tales:

1. I listened with horror to friends, who are general contractors, as
they discussed finding disintegrating tyvek inside the walls of homes
built less than twenty years ago. They said they found tyvek sheeting
in the walls of homes they were renovating in tattered shreds. They
are returning to using good old tar paper for their own  work as a
result.

2. A USGS map from REI, that has been on our wall for under four
years, recently crumbled into a zillion pieces and fell right off the
wall. It had been printed out from their in-store on-demand machines
on a tyvek-like material, though I am uncertain exactly what that
material is. To their credit, REI refunded in full. I asked about
printing out on paper instead, but this option is not available.
(Yikes.)

So, what of tyvek and the book arts? I understand some tyvek is sold
as "archival," and that this has to do with the various coatings on
the tyvek. And, this is what I have been using. But... now I really
wonder about tyvek. Can we rest assured about the longevity of this
material? Or am I nuts to use it in books I would not want to fall
apart in the near future? I really do love how it takes color and have
enjoyed using it for end sheets and other purposes, too.

Any thoughts out there?

Thanks!
Andie Thrams

On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 7:38 AM, Alexandra M Snyder <amsnyder at unm.edu> wrote:
> Dear Alastair,
>
> I have used Tyvek (product name), which is also made of spun-bonded
> polyethylene olefin fibers, for labeling oversize fish specimens in tanks of
> ethanol, formalin, and isopropanol.  The label is printed using an impact
> printer (Epson LQ 870). The thermal transfer labels/plastic paper do not
> work as well for tank specimens as the hole tends to tear out.  I purchase
> Tyvek 6060 sheets (#18)  of 23"x35" from University Products, Massachusetts
> USA. (www.universityproducts.com) This is a heavier paper than the rolls of
> type 1443R.
>
> Lex
> **************************************
> Alexandra M Snyder
> Collections Manager-Fishes
> Museum of Southwestern Biology MSC03-2020
> 302 Yale NE
> University of New Mexico
> Albuquerque NM 87131 USA
> PH/FAX 505.277.6005
> http://www.msb.unm.edu/fishes/index.html
>
>

--
Steve Halford (halford at sfu.ca)
Museum Technician
Department of Biological Sciences
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, B.C. Canada               Phone
V5A 1S6                                  778-782-3461

-- 
John E. Simmons
Museologica
128 E. Burnside Street
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010
simmons.johne at gmail.com
303-681-5708
www.museologica.com
and
Adjunct Curator of Collections
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery
Penn State University
19 Deike Building
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802-2709
jes67 at psu.edu

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