I'm just wondering if there's ever a point where out-gassing materials eventually become, quite literally, gassed out?
I fully expect the answer to be no, of course. However, it somehow doesn't make sense that materials that emit gases over time have the "fuel", as it is, to emit gasses forever. For example, it would seem that a case for an Iron Cross would eventually become unable to produce anymore gas, and therefore be safe for storing it's EK1 inside it, where it was intended to be anyway. Nearly seventy years of gassing to me seems excessive, to say the least.
This idea is supported, for example, by what I have heard from a number of very intelligent, experienced collectors of cased EK1's. I have been told by many that they have kept their EK1's in their original cases for decades now, without any noticeable or visible ill effects. This is apparently a fact which contradicts what I would otherwise believe about gassing and its ill-effects on EK1's.
So, even if gas producing materials somehow continue to produce gas (simply by decomposing) as long as they exist, do they at least at some point produce amounts of gas which are so minimal as to be effectively harmless? The above-mentioned accounts seem to at least suggest that to me.
In genreral, and in fact, everything runs out of gas eventually, and if it's not refueled, it stays, well....out of gas.
So, what do some of the rest of you think about this perpetual gassing issue? Do any of the rest of you perhaps also notice that cased awards, for example, show no ill gassing effects at this point?
I assure everyone that I am IN NO WAY trying to say anyone doesn't know what they're talking about, no matter what you may think about it. I'm just curious and a little confused, as well. The more I know, the better off I'll be.
Thanks to all who may let off some steam (or gas) on this very important issue.
Sincerely,
Chris
I fully expect the answer to be no, of course. However, it somehow doesn't make sense that materials that emit gases over time have the "fuel", as it is, to emit gasses forever. For example, it would seem that a case for an Iron Cross would eventually become unable to produce anymore gas, and therefore be safe for storing it's EK1 inside it, where it was intended to be anyway. Nearly seventy years of gassing to me seems excessive, to say the least.
This idea is supported, for example, by what I have heard from a number of very intelligent, experienced collectors of cased EK1's. I have been told by many that they have kept their EK1's in their original cases for decades now, without any noticeable or visible ill effects. This is apparently a fact which contradicts what I would otherwise believe about gassing and its ill-effects on EK1's.
So, even if gas producing materials somehow continue to produce gas (simply by decomposing) as long as they exist, do they at least at some point produce amounts of gas which are so minimal as to be effectively harmless? The above-mentioned accounts seem to at least suggest that to me.
In genreral, and in fact, everything runs out of gas eventually, and if it's not refueled, it stays, well....out of gas.
So, what do some of the rest of you think about this perpetual gassing issue? Do any of the rest of you perhaps also notice that cased awards, for example, show no ill gassing effects at this point?
I assure everyone that I am IN NO WAY trying to say anyone doesn't know what they're talking about, no matter what you may think about it. I'm just curious and a little confused, as well. The more I know, the better off I'll be.
Thanks to all who may let off some steam (or gas) on this very important issue.
Sincerely,
Chris
The cardboard material back then was mostly made from rags/old cloth. Sulfur, bleaches, other chemicals add to the rags/cloth to dissolve it to a finer pulp. That's not the whole problem itself. For a EK box it's the hide glue, made from an cow, horse, other animals. The chemicals used in the process to make the glue. Over time all these chemicals will break down. The EK1, and EK2 the blacken core paint has lead in it. As we are learning more about environments today lead and some other chemicals that we thought were safe are now deadly, and last for a long time, and can be unstable. The key thing to remember is. To keep the items stable or at least as stable as possible. Use archival safe products store store your collectables in. Use climate controls enviroments. keep artifacts away from each other(isolate them) don't throw them all into one box with out the proper care for each item. 
We in the conservation field has made a life time study of this dilemma. Yes, some people are lucky when they think that nothing has happen to there items. But when they finially see it they cry the loudest, and get very argumentative that nobody told them this, or how could this happen. 
Oh well, I guess the more you know, the more difficult it all becomes during the process. However, the end product for those who heed the gas warnings will be the final victory, I suppose. In the end, they'll be the only ones with a collection...
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