Andrew Vik
Tampa, Fl., USA
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John:

What material is an archival quality box made from?

Andrew

John Jacobs wrote:

> Bynes disease is a very serious problem to shell collectors and museums.
> The Bishop Museum in Honolulu replaced their wooden cabinets with metal ones
> a few years back because of this problem.  They also replaced their old
> cardboard boxes with archival quality boxes.  Land shells are particularly
> susceptible because of their thin shells.  Wood, acidic paper and cardboard
> boxes can eventually cause Bynes disease.
>
> I've seen Bynes disease.  Once a shell has it, it's too late; the shell is
> permanently damaged.
>
> John
>
> John & Cheryl Jacobs
> Seffner, FL
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, June 17, 1999 5:09 PM
> Subject: Bynes disease
>
> At http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/sea-site/1999-03/0031.html, Barry Kaye
> wrote,
> "Calcium carbonate is susceptible to 'Bynes disease' or 'Efflorescence X' -
> basically, if stored in wooden cupboards or on wooden shelves in
> unventillated stores, acetic or formic acid from the wood result in the
> formation of hydrated calcium formates or acetates (the actual formula is a
> bit more complicated). These new minerals appear as a white 'fluff' on the
> surface of the ceramic (problem is very common with natural history
> collections of shells, and results in white blotches, and damage to the
> surface of the shell)."
>
> Interesting. I'd like to hear more. Are bacteria involved? What can be done
> about it?
>
> Andrew K. Rindsberg
> Geological Survey of Alabama