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Chlorine test: Difference between revisions
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* Fibreglass cloth (no resin) | * Fibreglass cloth (no resin) | ||
* Glass (etching only) | * Glass (etching only) | ||
Unacceptable: | Unacceptable: | ||
* PVC plastic. PVC = "'''P'''oly'''V'''inyl '''C'''hloride". The "chloride" means it has chlorine. | * PVC plastic. PVC = "'''P'''oly'''V'''inyl '''C'''hloride". The "chloride" means it has chlorine. | ||
* Sintra | * Sintra | ||
* | * Composites (fibreglass, carbon fibre) | ||
* (Incomplete List) | * (Incomplete List) | ||
==Procedure== | ==Procedure== | ||
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With any new material, proceed with caution and watch carefully for fire or thick, dark smoke. | With any new material, proceed with caution and watch carefully for fire or thick, dark smoke. | ||
== | |||
==Trivia== | |||
The Beilstein Test: Screening Organic and Polymeric Materials for the Presence of Chlorine, with Examples of Products Tested | |||
http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/publications/notes/17-1-eng.aspx | |||
http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/publications/notes/17-1_e.pdf | |||
Chlorinated organic materials are generally considered unsuitable for long-term conservation and museum applications due to their potential harm to objects. These materials may degrade and produce acidic gases, or additives such as plasticizers may migrate to objects. These products can be analyzed in detail in the laboratory, but conservators may use a simple test — the Beilstein Test — to screen their own materials for the presence of chlorine without having to submit samples for laboratory analysis. | |||
The test is based on the reaction of chlorine with copper compounds at the high temperatures found in burner flames. These conditions produce excited, green-coloured copper atoms or ions that cause the normally colourless (or very slightly blue) flame to flare brilliant green (or sometimes blue-green). | |||
The Beilstein Test has been used for many decades to analyze organic and polymeric materials (Shriner et a1. 1964; Vogel 1966). A very similar test is now used by refrigeration technicians to detect and localize leaks of freon-type refrigerants (i.e., chlorinated and fluorinated hydrocarbons). This test has also been recommended for detecting PVC coin storage products (Sharpless 1980). | The Beilstein Test has been used for many decades to analyze organic and polymeric materials (Shriner et a1. 1964; Vogel 1966). A very similar test is now used by refrigeration technicians to detect and localize leaks of freon-type refrigerants (i.e., chlorinated and fluorinated hydrocarbons). This test has also been recommended for detecting PVC coin storage products (Sharpless 1980). | ||