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  • 1.  "Sticky" residue on doll

    Posted 02-16-2022 21:17
    Hello everyone,
    I'm assisting another archie with their collection and we came upon a plastic doll that was stored in an acetate bag (the smell of vinegar was almost overpowring!)  I've removed the doll from the bag, but there is now a sticky residue on her hands and feet.  I'm assuming that it's from the deteriorating acetate.  is there a way to safely remove the residue from the doll?

    Thanks!

    Jennifer


  • 2.  RE: "Sticky" residue on doll

    Posted 02-18-2022 14:38
    I'm not so sure that the stickiness is offset from the acetate bag- I've worked around cellulose acetate for years, in various forms, and it has never been sticky in any state of deterioration. I suspect that the doll may be made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and that the plasticizers have migrated out of it onto the surface (perhaps accelerated by the presence of acetic acid?). If photos were submitted of both the old bag as well as the doll, it could help figure out the issue.

    Sincerely,
    Doug

    ------------------------------
    Douglas Sanders
    Paper Conservator
    Indiana University Libraries
    Bloomington IN
    (812) 856-4463
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  • 3.  RE: "Sticky" residue on doll

    Posted 02-18-2022 14:38
    Here are a couple of articles that will give you both a background on plastic degradation and some tips.  It sounds like perhaps the acetate bag may be the reason for the acetic acid smell and that the doll itself is weeping its plasticizer:

    Cleaning

    Cleaning tends to cause both chemical and mechanical damage so keep a balance between the risk of damage and your wish for the object to look pristine.
    The best way to clean plastic objects is with cotton swabs and lint-free cloths, ideally of microfibre, a mix of polyester and polyamide. If more in depth cleaning is essential dampened but never wet cloth using deionised water can be used but the dampness should be kept to a minimum and make sure that the object is completely dry after treatment. Water is especially bad for casein formaldehyde, cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate. Never immerse a plastic object in water.  Do not use solvents: severe damage that could ensue may not show immediately.

    Conservation

    Once an object needs treatment for anything other than mechanical damage it is likely to be too late. The best conservation treatment for plastics is preventive conservation as outlined in Environmental requirements and Storage and display. Storing plastics at low temperatures and relative humidities and keeping them away from harmful substances and vapours will however slow down the rate of harmful reactions.

    There are no standard interventive processes for plastic materials. Interventive treatments present risks of further damage to objects due to potential reaction between treatment and object.  More damage than good can be done by interventive conservation of plastics. Do not consider mending plastics or doing other interventive work without the advice of a specialist conservator.  https://plastiquarian.com/?page_id=14326 

    "Four kinds of plastics are particularly vulnerable to degradation. Two of these problematic plastics were among the first developed: cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate. The third is polyvinyl chloride, one of the top five plastics produced in the world. The fourth is polyurethane foam, whose many pores increase the material's surface area and thus exposure to oxygen, light, and water in air-all of which make the plastic susceptible to crumbling."  https://cen.acs.org/articles/89/i29/Preserving-Plastic-Art.html 

    Plasticiser loss in heritage collections: its prevalence, cause, effect, and methods for analysis




    Craig Deller
    Historic Artifact Conservator
    Fellow-AIC


    "With great intelligence comes great annoyance"

    Bucky Katt 



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