[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Foam cushion for comparative bone collection

Tue Jan 6 15:19:02 EST 2026

Hi,

In my understanding, polyurethane foam is recommended for short term use
only because (a) it emits gases [mostly during curing but also later]  and
(b) it isn't always easy to predict its stability - that changes with the
brand and the type. There are different types of foaming polyurethane
resulting in widely different levels of hardness so the components and
their ratios differ in different commercial formulas and durabiluty.

That said, I myself use foaming polyurethane of the sort used in
construction - but only for the (sometimes theoretically...) short term
support / jacketing of finds in the field for transportation to the lab,
never for storage or display. For long term purposes, I choose some sort of
configuration of polyethylene foam products, or make jackets of plaster and
fiberglass lined with foam or Tyvek (the latter is for preventing moisture
leaching from bones into plaster) - depending on purpose, size and weight
of object etc.

Cheers,

Gali

Gali Beiner (ACR)
Conservator, Palaeontology Lab
National Natural History Collections
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Berman Building, Edmond J. Safra campus, Givat Ram
Jerusalem 91904, Israel
Fax. 972-2-6585785
*gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il <gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il>*

*https://nnhc.huji.ac.il/?lang=en <https://nnhc.huji.ac.il/?lang=en>*

בתאריך יום ג׳, 6 בינו׳ 2026, 21:58, מאת Dirk Neumann ‏<
d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>:

> Hi Paul and all,
>
> isn't this spray foam Polyurethane foam? Polyurethane foams (at least
> those that I have seen in constructions) may deteriorate fast if exposed to
> UV - which might not be that much of a problem in a (drawer or other
> container in a) dark collection storage room.
>
> With best wishes
> Dirk
>
>
>
> Am 06.01.2026 um 15:44 schrieb Callomon,Paul:
>
> For permanent storage Ethafoam and its relatives (e. g. Sekisui Volara)
> are very good. However, I’ve recently seen large, fragile engine parts
> shipped using another method that I think might work well for very big
> bones, and that would be a lot cheaper: spray foam (sold in hardware stores
> for filling gaps around windows and doors) sprayed into plastic bags within
> a confining box or tray. The bags “inflate” as the foam expands, forming
> themselves exactly to the bones and to the box, and then setting more or
> less rigid. How long the foam will last is hard to say, but in construction
> use I have seen no softening or deterioration in 25 years.
>
>
>
> PC
>
>
>
> *Paul Callomon*
> *Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates*
> ------------------------------
>
> *Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia*
> *callomon at ansp.org <callomon at ansp.org> Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170*
>
> *President of the American Malacological Society for 2027*
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>
> <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> *On Behalf Of *Fabian Neisskenwirth
> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 6, 2026 9:35 AM
> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* Re: [Nhcoll-l] Foam cushion for comparative bone collection
>
>
>
> *External.*
>
> Hi again,
>
> Gali's email was in my spam. She already posted all you needed to know.
>
> All the best,
>
> Am 06.01.26 um 11:44 schrieb Gali Beiner:
>
> Hi Amos,
>
>
>
> If foam is what you are looking for, then preparing a suitable cutout with
> Palziv foam should do the trick. Palziv is the equivalent of Plastazote
> foam, made of polyethylene, and you can choose the hardness of the foam, as
> well as the thickness. I usually buy only white foam to avoid colorants. In
> terms of "archival" - it is a commercial product so there are colorants
> etc. but it is made of polyethylene so it is used by conservators.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
>
>
> Gali
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jan 6, 2026 at 12:30 PM Amos Belmaker <belmakera at tauex.tau.ac.il>
> wrote:
>
> Hello fellow collection managers,
>
>
>
> We are planning to organize one cabinet dedicated to a comparative
> skeleton collection. Each drawer will have one element for easy comparison.
> We are looking for advice on foam or something like that to act as a
> cushion for the bones. It needs to be 'archival'.
>
>
>
> Any thoughts are welcome.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Amos
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
> --
>
> Gali Beiner (ACR)
>
> Conservator, Palaeontology Lab
>
> National Natural History Collections
>
> The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
> Berman Building, Edmond J. Safra campus, Givat Ram
> Jerusalem 91904, Israel
> Fax. 972-2-6585785
> *gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il <gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il>*
>
> *https://nnhc.huji.ac.il/?lang=en <https://nnhc.huji.ac.il/?lang=en>*
>
>
>
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>
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>
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>
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>
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> --
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> *Fabian Neisskenwirth*
>
> Restaurator/Präparator
>
>
>
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> --
>
> ******
>
>
>
> *Dirk Neumann*
>
> Collection Manager, Hamburg
>
>
>
> Postal address:
>
> *Museum of Nature Hamburg*
> Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
>
> of Biodiversity Change
>
> Dirk Neumann
>
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> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
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> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
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