Awesome post by the way! My two cents, if you really want a backing board or a comic box that acts like microchamber? Get one from the source.....
http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_11/section11_14.htm
Expensive but the real deal....
I use Egerber boards and Egerber mylars for all my books. 5 sheets of microchamber interleaved in each book to deal with acidity. Someone earlier discussed the longevity of microchamber paper and how 7 years was conservative. Well I spoke with a gentlemen that was involved in the testing and creation of conservation resources microchamber paper. I talked to him when I placed my last order with CRI. I told him what CGC said about the 7 years inert thing. He laughed, and told me that microchamber paper was designed to protect valuable ephemera collections in the most polluted environments in the US... like the library's in our biggest cities. ie: New York, Washington DC etc.....
He told me the amount of pollutants and acids they pushed thru these papers during testing was staggering, and that realistically it could be 50 years before a sheet loses its acid nuetralization qualities.... If he wanted to sell paper he could have told me somthing different, so I tend to believe him. Real nice guy, and passionate about conservation. He told me that CRI loves comic collectors, they are quirky and different from the usual conversations they have with library archivest's.
One thing I remember him saying was that if you are not going to give a paper a deacidification bath which actually leaves a akaline buffer in the paper to be conserved. Next best thing is to make sure your enclosures are not contributing to the problem first. So no acidic woods, papers or plastics... and then make sure the paper is enclosed with microchamber for acid nuetralization from the paper itself. after that comes dark, stable, cool and non-humid environment etc.....
I wish I had recorded my conversation with the guy... someone should do an interview with people in the know at CRI. Oh, one other thing about microchamber technology is that it can be turned into almost anything... if you really want to get anal.... paint the inside of your comic enclosure with microchamber emulsion.
from the site....
MicroChamber Emulsion
MicroChamber Emulsion is designed to be applied to exhibit cases and display units, drawers, shelves and cabinet surfaces, and for use inside packing and shipping crates to protect artworks and valuable historic artifacts. Surfaces treated with new MicroChamber Emulsion protect against airborne pollutants from both indoor and outdoor sources, the cumulative by-products of deterioration, and harmful substances which migrate from materials such as wood. MicroChamber Emulsion is the only surface treatment which can provides preventative conservation protection in rooms which house collections, in conservation labs, photographic darkrooms, exhibition galleries, offices and homes. It is indicated in locations surrounding laser printers and photocopiers, and internal environments where high levels of ozone, peroxides and other airborne pollutants exist. MicroChamber Emulsion may be applied to paper, board, cloth, canvas, wood, metal, glass, plaster, painted or unpainted drywall, foam, plastic and to most common structural substrates. MicroChamber Emulsion will be effective applied in areas open to environmental air exchange or in closed storage, shipping and exhibition cases. Dries to an effective preventative conservation surface within eight hours. Contains activated carbon in an aqueous dispersion with calcium carbonate and acrylic polymer. pH 8.0, total solids 37.4% (± 1%). Patented. 750 ml. Item MCE-750.
link here.....
http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/S%20CATALOG/MicroChamber.htm
Awesome post by the way! My two cents, if you really want a backing board or a comic box that acts like microchamber? Get one from the source..... http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_11/section11_14.htm Expensive but the real deal.... I use Egerber boards and Egerber mylars for all my books. 5 sheets of microchamber interleaved in each book to deal with acidity. Someone earlier discussed the longevity of microchamber paper and how 7 years was conservative. Well I spoke with a gentlemen that was involved in the testing and creation of conservation resources microchamber paper. I talked to him when I placed my last order with CRI. I told him what CGC said about the 7 years inert thing. He laughed, and told me that microchamber paper was designed to protect valuable ephemera collections in the most polluted environments in the US... like the library's in our biggest cities. ie: New York, Washington DC etc..... He told me the amount of pollutants and acids they pushed thru these papers during testing was staggering, and that realistically it could be 50 years before a sheet loses its acid nuetralization qualities.... If he wanted to sell paper he could have told me somthing different, so I tend to believe him. Real nice guy, and passionate about conservation. He told me that CRI loves comic collectors, they are quirky and different from the usual conversations they have with library archivest's. One thing I remember him saying was that if you are not going to give a paper a deacidification bath which actually leaves a akaline buffer in the paper to be conserved. Next best thing is to make sure your enclosures are not contributing to the problem first. So no acidic woods, papers or plastics... and then make sure the paper is enclosed with microchamber for acid nuetralization from the paper itself. after that comes dark, stable, cool and non-humid environment etc..... I wish I had recorded my conversation with the guy... someone should do an interview with people in the know at CRI. Oh, one other thing about microchamber technology is that it can be turned into almost anything... if you really want to get anal.... paint the inside of your comic enclosure with microchamber emulsion. from the site.... MicroChamber Emulsion MicroChamber Emulsion is designed to be applied to exhibit cases and display units, drawers, shelves and cabinet surfaces, and for use inside packing and shipping crates to protect artworks and valuable historic artifacts. Surfaces treated with new MicroChamber Emulsion protect against airborne pollutants from both indoor and outdoor sources, the cumulative by-products of deterioration, and harmful substances which migrate from materials such as wood. MicroChamber Emulsion is the only surface treatment which can provides preventative conservation protection in rooms which house collections, in conservation labs, photographic darkrooms, exhibition galleries, offices and homes. It is indicated in locations surrounding laser printers and photocopiers, and internal environments where high levels of ozone, peroxides and other airborne pollutants exist. MicroChamber Emulsion may be applied to paper, board, cloth, canvas, wood, metal, glass, plaster, painted or unpainted drywall, foam, plastic and to most common structural substrates. MicroChamber Emulsion will be effective applied in areas open to environmental air exchange or in closed storage, shipping and exhibition cases. Dries to an effective preventative conservation surface within eight hours. Contains activated carbon in an aqueous dispersion with calcium carbonate and acrylic polymer. pH 8.0, total solids 37.4% (± 1%). Patented. 750 ml. Item MCE-750. link here..... http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/S%20CATALOG/MicroChamber.htm