Products Tested by the NARA Research and Testing Laboratory (1998-present)
This is a list of materials that have been tested by the NARA Research and Testing Laboratory. Inclusion on this list does not imply that the product was acceptable, only that it was tested. Exclusion merely implies that the manufacturer did not bid, did not supply samples, or was not asked to supply samples.
The laboratory would be pleased to furnish results of these tests to members of the archival, library, and conservation community. Call (301) 837-1906, fax (301) 837-0665. or write:
NWTD
National Archives at College Park
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, Maryland 20740-6001
Please note that the results necessarily apply only to the specific samples tested at a given time by the National Archives chemists. Each run of paper, board, plastic, etc. from a given mill or manufacturer can and probably will, be different. Therefore, National Archives test results may not be applicable to products ordered from the same vendors today.
Also the numbers in the list that precede the product are first of all the year, followed by a dash and the number which corresponds to the entry in the laboratory notebook. While we do not need those numbers to find the reports, you will get exactly the report you want if you ask for it by number.
Tapes
- 98-0043 Photoactivity test (PAT) on audio splicing tapes from 3M and Quantify
- 98-0034 PAT on 3 M Tartan Brand tape
- 98-0039 Oddy test on J Lar tape
- 2002-011 PAT on artists tape from Dick Blick.
Labels
- 2002-015 Labels from Data Ware and Tri-Optic were tested for their adhesive strength and were also subjected to the Oddy test
Plastic Microfilm Boxes
- 99-0053 Tuscan - TGA.
- 2000-0025 Tuscan - TGA and iR.
- 2002-004 PAT on plastic film can for LBJ Library.
- 2002-011 PAT on plastic film can for our regional archives in Georgia.
Film Bags - IR identification of plastic, tested for thickness, opacity and PAT.
- 2000-0008 from Bono bags used by Kodak and/or Fuji
Cardboard from Kodak Panchromatic Separation Film Canister
- 98-0034 Cardboard roll and cardboard disk-PAT.
Large Paper Envelopes for Cartographic Storage
- 2002-011 and 2002-016 Envelopes and seams from Hollinger, Metal Edge West and University Products were tested using the PAT
- 2002-019 A "9 Lens film" negative storage folder from Metal Edge West was subjected to the PAT.
Polyester Sleeves or Document Protectors
- 99-0076 Gerber Products - identified plastic, tested seal strength
- 2000-0018 Gerber Products - identified plastic, tested seal strength
- 2001-002 Permasafe plastic sleeve - PAT
Wheat Starch Paste - pH, atomic adsorption spectrum
- 98-0017 Aytex-P
Mending Tissue
- 2001-027 infrared analysis of Hayaku Japanese Hinging Paper made by Lineco.
Spray Deacidification
- 98-0026 Wei to and Bookeeper sprays-pH and alkaline reserve
- 98-0037 Re-test of Bookeeper spray for pH and alkaline reserve
Sponges
- 98-0034 White and yellow PVOH sponges- PAT
PAPER
- 2001-021 Xerox Recycled Bond Paper tested for pH, alkaline reserve, thickness, tear, folding endurance.
FILE FOLDERS
Letter and Legal sized file folders
- 2002-018 File folders from Hollinger Corporation were tested for pH, alkaline reserve, thickness, facing, bleeding, stiffness, PAT, and reducible sulfur.
Legislative file folders
- 2000-31 Hollinger pH, alkaline reserve, lignin, thickness, abrasion, reducible sulfur, bleeding, brightness, PAT, smoothness, stiffness, alum-rosin sizing
Map Folders
- 2000-23 Hollinger - pH, alkaline reserve, lignin, alum, PAT, reducible sulfur, thickness, stiffness, smoothness, abrasion, bleeding and brightness.
BOXES
Boxes for Microfilm Storage
- 98-0027 Pohlig Brothers - pH, thickness, lignin, alkaline reserve, abrasion, smoothness, bleeding, fading, stiffness and reducible sulfur.
- 99-0082 Pohlig Brothers - PAT
- 2001-028 Microfilm boxes from Pohlig, tested for pH, alkaline reserve, thickness, bleeding, fading, stiffness, lignin, sizing, abrasion, and smoothness.
- 2002-007 Microfilm boxes, one from Pohlig, another made for Thomson Learning, were tested for pH, alkaline reserve, lignin, bleeding, fading, abrasion, thickness, and using the PAT.
Archives Boxes
- 2002-005 pH, alkaline reserve, bleeding, fading, stiffness, thickness, reducible sulfur, smoothness, and PAT on red archives boxes from Metal Edge West for the LBJ Library.
- 2002-013 3 Sizes of Hollinger Corp archives boxes were tested for pH, alkaline reserve, reducible sulfur, bleeding, fading, alum rosin sizing, pull strength, stiffness, thickness, and smoothness.
Corrugated Boxes
- 2000-029 Mullen Burst test on FRC box from Victory Box Corporation.
- 2001-003 FRC boxes from Hollinger, Paige, Metal Edge West and Gaylord tested for abrasion, bleeding, fading, Mullen burst, surface smoothness, pH, alkaline reserve, thickness and lignin.
- 2002-006 pH and alkaline reserve on a lignin containing corrugated from Banner Fiberboard which is under consideration to be used by Library of Congress in making FRC type boxes for their new repository.
Cartographic Flat storage box
- 2002-011 made by Hollinger Corporation, subjected to PAT.
Box and Paperboard
- 98-0021 Archivart-Binders Board-reducible sulfur
- 99-0049 Archival Art Services, Inc. Mat board - PAT
- 2000-22 Metal Edge West E flute and CMI E flute - pH, alkaline reserve, thickness, fading, bleeding, abrasion, burst, smoothness, stiffness and reducible sulfur
- 2000-20 PAT on Metal Edge West and CMI boards, and on the Pigma Micron pen
- 2001-001 Rising Mat Board from San Francisco Museum of Modern Art - PAT
- 2001-003 Hollinger C flute, Paige B, Metal Edge West, and Gaylord B flutes - thickness, abrasion, bleeding, fading, burst, stiffness, smoothness, and lignin.
- 2001-006 A different color Rising Mat Board from S F Museum of Modern Art - PAT
- 2001-016 CMI 1999, Metal Edge West 2001, and Metal Edge West 2000 E-flute corrugated board, tested for pH, alkaline reserve, Mullen Burst, facing, thickness, abrasion, bleeding, lignin, smoothness and for alum-rosin size.
- 2001-031 PAT and quality assurance testing of E flute corrugated board from Metal Edge West.
- 2002-010 Flat crush test on some of the E flute boards tested previously, and on a B flute.
Ink
- 98-0031 PAT on Sharpie and Staedtler pens.
- 98-0035 PAT tests of Staedtler and Sanford Sharpie Pens.
- 2000-26 PAT on PrismaColor pencil
- 2001-007 Sanford Industrial extra fine point Permanent Marker - bleeding, fading and PAT
- 2001-014 Ranger Ink Pad ink tested for pH, bleeding and fading
- 2002-012 testing of a new Ranger Archival Black Ink pad for pH, bleeding, and fading.
- 2002-014 Pilot Gold and Silver markers were tested for pH, bleeding, fading and PAT.
Plastic Film
- 98-0054 PAT on 10 mil Mylar
Dust Cloths
- 2000-21 Stretch & Dust 0414 by Johnson & Johnson - tested for residue.
Erasers
- 2003-028 Analysis of Staedtler Mars erasers, FTIR and SPME with GC/MS analysis.
Miscellaneous
- 98-0022 pH and bleeding of nylon ribbons from Laurence Schiff Co.
- 2000-30 PAT on Rising 4 Ply Mat Board, Lineco, Inc., frame sealing tape, sheet of Fusion 400 Dry Mount adhesive, Testfabrics 100% natural linen, and 684 Premium Natural Linen, and 682 Airplane Neutral Linen from Raphael's---Master source
Products tested using the Oddy test
- 98-0032: Rising Antique Matboard; Rising Lite Grey Matboard; Coroplast; J-Lar; Ethafoam
- 98-0039: (Photoactivity tests of these same products 98-0040)Linen 53;Linen 8; Linen Cotton Blend 5040 from TestFabrics
- 99-0055 DuPont Antron Legacy Carpet & Premium K 52 Kwik stick Adhesive - Oddy and PAT 99-0064
- 99-0058 Oddy and PAT, 99-0069, for anodizing on 7075 aluminum for the re-encasements
- 99-0084 Oddy for re-encasement metal finishes of gold, brown and black
- 99-0071 Oddy and PAT on Cialinens, Canapetta linen, ethafoam, pva, and polycarbonate tube
- 99-0072 Oddy and PAT on Coroplast corrugated board, Intercept bonded to archival board, and Intercept in black film bag
- 99-0083Oddy on Rising 4 Ply Mat Board, 99-0081 PAT on same
- 2000-04Oddy on ceiling tile VLRH 90 FireGuard from Armstrong World Industries
- 2000-14 White Sintra, black Sintra and Foam X from Alucobond and Coroplast from Archivart
- 2000-17 Oddy and 20-0016 PAT on bordeaux, brown and gray finishes on anodized aluminum, done by Alexandria Metal Company
- 2000-24 Silicone Adhesive Gasketting #5050, Silicone Adhesive Gasketting #5030 C, and EPDM Rubber Wear Strip
- 2000-28 Alumalite
- 2000-30 Oddy on dibond on ethafoam, sealed wood, sealed wood with aluminum sealing tape, Rising board, frame sealing tape, Fusion 4000 dry mount material and Testfabrics unbleached, undyed 100 % linen
- 2001-004 E Milliken Carpet samples, one 100 % Dupont Antron Legacy Nylon 756 Ivy League, the second Ornamental Terrace in color 119, and the third Milliken Certified Wear On Nylon in the design Colored crystal, color Jade Jem, PATs also done
- 2001-009 Oddy and PAT on carpet from Milliken
- 2001-013 Oddy on Milliken Carpet a non-fluorocarbon treated one in pattern 6696 and color 119.
- 2001-017 Milliken carpet with fluorochemical and without.
- 2001-018 Americover, a yellow plastic, Furniture Cover, a white plastic, and a fire retardant in a black plastic.
- 2001-022 Interface Flooring Systems, Inc., carpet style1663602500, one without fluorochemical treatment cleaned 3 times, one with fluorochemical treatment cleaned 3 times.
- 2001-023 Lees Modular Carpets, Burlington Industries, Style Faculty II.
- 2001-024 Ester type urethane foam, ½" thick white Fome Cor, Dexter 3 Maxistick hot melt glue, black Velcro fastener, Nomex type E-88C polyester felt.
- 2001-026 Nuance carpets from Milliken, components, and different formulations.
- 2002-001 Midnight Sparkle carpet from Milliken.
- 2002-003 Milliken carpets Midnight and Colorweave.
- 2002-004 Environtec Healthguard adhesive #2033.
- 2002-008 Medite 2, primers and paint, gasket materials, aluminum and Plexiglas.
- 2002-017 Carpets from Mohawk, Collins and Aikman, and Cambridge were tested.
