Skip to main content

Table 1 Characteristic physical and visual signs of cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate deterioration [6, 25]

From: Rapid identification of cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate film in historic photograph collections

Level

Cellulose nitrate

Cellulose acetate

1

No visible deterioration

No visible deterioration

2

Film base turns yellow, and image shows signs of mirroring

Film base begins to curl and can turn red or blue

3

Film base becomes sticky and gives off a strong smell of nitric acid

Film base shrinks, becomes brittle and produces acetic acid (vinegar smell)

4

Film base becomes amber in colour and the image begins to fade

Film base can begin warping

5

Film softens and can weld to adjacent material or enclosure

Film base forms bubbles and crystals

6

Film turns into a brown acid powder

Film base forms channels