I believe Cotton is hygroscopic. Useful in in bandages to keep wound dry...
Cotton clothes wick moisture off the body and allow it to evaporate.

So in a box it might wick the moisture out of the shell, and air - creating
a organic soup over the years.  I think that is the issue - the storage site
being very low RH% might be ok.   Those in normal homes vary from 2 to 95+%.
I suspect the cotton starts to break down (rot) and that invites more
trouble.


I have Cotton shirts (my wife wrinkles her nose at them :-) ) and they go to
the laundry for pressing.   They are just what is needed on hot outdoor
outings.

Polyester clothes don't breathe and over heat the body.  So when
shelling, think
of the outside temp - is it cold (ocean) or hot - mountain side....

Martin

GARY FREDRICKSON wrote:
> Hi Linda
> My friend from who I inherited a large part of my shell collection removed all the cotton from her shell boxes twenty years ago. A very large task by the way. I don't know if it was the threat of insects or something to do with cotton absorbing moisture from the air. Probably other reasons too.
> I have continued to use polyester which you can buy as quilt batting for very little money. To date I haven't seen any information that the polyester degrades and gives off harmful products. The shells she changed twenty years ago don't seem to have been hurt by it. I know the foam that sometimes comes under shells in those lovely little boxes can  and does degrade. I would love to hear other opinions positive or negative for cotton or polyester. Thanks.
> Gary
>
> --- On Mon, 7/28/08, Linda Bush <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
>> From: Linda Bush <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: [CONCH-L] Cotton vs. polyester
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Date: Monday, July 28, 2008, 4:55 PM
>> HI, All!
>>
>> I seem to remeber a thread (no pun intended) about not
>> using cotton with shells, but polyester instead.   I picked
>> up what I thought were some polyester makeup balls this
>> afternoon to line a compartmented case.   And then I saw
>> that they were 100% cotton.   (How many times do you see
>> 100% cotton on anything today?).
>>
>> Are they safe to use?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Linda Bush
>>
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--
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/

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