NARA POLICY STATEMENT ON COLD STORAGE FOR COLOR FILM MATERIALS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10T01930R000100070005-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 10, 2012
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: January 31, 1985
• Content Type: MISC

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NARA Policy Statement on Cold Storage for Color Film Materials
This policy statement describes the use of cold storage vaults
within the National Archives and Records Administration for the
archival storage of color film materials. NARA has a fundamental
commitment to construct and operate cold storage vaults. Film
materials incorporating color dyes require special storage
conditions, and cooler temperatures and lower relative humidities
retard fading, thereby prolonging the useful life of color images
of permanent value. While NR A is investigating new
technologies, one of which may ultimately provide a iong-term
solution to the problem of preserving color images, cold storage
vaults offer the best interim preservation method.
Color film is not an ideal archival medium because all color dyes
are chemically unstable and will fade in time. Yet many valuable
pictorial images exist on color film and must be pE-eserved.
Archives have an obligation to see that the color images in their
holdings remain as close to their original quality as feasible.
A color image shift toward magenta may reflect the inherent
instability of color dyes but it may also indicate a failure to
provide proper storage conditions. Several tests have
conclusively demonstrated that sufficiently cool temperature and
low relative humidity will decrease the rate of fading.
Conversely, warmer temperatures and higher humidities will
accelerate the deterioration of color dyes. Changes in eitner
temperature or humidity will add to the adverse effect on color
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dyes. In short, constant, cool, and dryer storape conditions,
together with a judicious selection of modern film stocks witn
better dye-keeping stability, should ensure adequate preservation
of color images for many years.
NARA cold storage vaults should be designed or modified to fall
within the standards promulgated by the American National
Standards Institute as specified in the ANSI standard, "Practice
for 'Storage of Safety Photographic Film" (PH 1.43-1983, or latest
revision). This standard strongly recommends 35 degrees F or
below for the arcnival storage of color film, with humidity at
15-30% for cellulose ester, and 25-30% for polyester, or 30% for
mixed storape. In principle NARA favors 0 degrees F and 30%. RH
for its vaults. .Nonetheless, the volume of holdings and limited
monetary resources may make vaults with moderate temperatures
more practical and less costly to operate.
All film should be conditioned to a relatively low moisture
content before being placed in cold storage. This may be
tr.
accomplished by means of conditioning cabinets or by leaving
the film in staging areas with low humidity. The duration will
depend uoon the size and amount of film and ambient conditions.
If the film is to be placed in hermetically sealed baps, the baps
must be evacuated and sealed quickly after conditioning.
Conversely, when film is brought out of cold storace it should be
allowed to return to ambient temperature before the containers
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are opened. All personnel having access to the cold storage
vaults should be trained in these procedures. Since current
conditioning practices vary greatly, NAkA will continue to
monitor new developments in conditioning and will adopt
techniques that improve procedures.
The use of hermetically sealed bags for cold storage depends upon
the cold storage system's cooling features. Hermetically sealed
bags are optional in systems able to maintain stable relative
humidities at acceptable levels. However, color film materials
placed in such systems should still be enclosed in unsealed bags.
Motion pictures, for example, should be stored in polyethylene
bags and polypropylene containers that meet the specifications
developed by the Preservation and Technical Services Division.
(See attachments 1 and 2.) The polypropylene containers, with
halopenated flame retardant limited to 4%, are preferred to most
metal cans because they are non-corrosive and cheaper. All other
containers or enclosures should also meet ANSI standards for
photographic enclosures (PH1.43 and PH1.5, latest eds.).
Hermetically sealed bags are essential in less expensive
refrigeration systems with little or no control of relative
humidity. Such bags should be made of safe materials (e.g.,
polyethylene), and reinforced with. a layer of aluminum foil to
provide a true vapor barrier. Double bagging is advisable. Only
polyester and triacetate films should be placed in sealed baqs.
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The records that will most benefit from cold storape consist of
any safety film-based materials incorporating color'dyes, such as
motion picture film, roll film, sheet film, and slides.* Cold
storage should be limited or restricted to the storage of
originals and preservation or intermediate copies that have been
inspected and cleaned and whose anticipated use is infrequent.
Reference copies need not be placed in cold storage.
An inspection of carefully selected film should be made
periodically to determine if any deleterious changes have
occurred and if a wider inspection is warranted. An inspection
should include precise measurements of density changes in
the cyan, magenta, and yellow layers. The new readings should be
compared to the representative readinps made when the film was
processed in the laboratory; or, in the case of film acquired
from outside of NPR, when the film was first prepared for c8id
storage.
*Nitrate-based film materials are excluded from tne scope of this
policy statement because (1) nitrate is not suitable for long-
term storage but rather for copying and disposal, (2) nitrate
should never be sealed in enclosures, and (3) it must be stored
separately from safety film. , See "Cellulose Nitrate Motion
Picture Film" (NFPA40-1982), published by the National Fire
Protection Association.
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NN
Plastic Storage Containers
NN Division Directors
A meeting to discuss NN policy on the use of plastic storage containers with
flame retardant was held on Thurdsay, April 4, 1985, with Trudy Peterson,
Carlton Brown, William Cunliffe, Ken Harris, Judy Pratt, Les Waffen, and
Susan Lee-Bechtold in attendance. A consensus on long term storage of audio
and video tape and motion pictures arrived at the following statement:
Policy statement on the purchase and use of plastic containers for long-term
storage of magnetic media and motion pictures.
Containers made from plastic may be used for the long-term storage of audio
and video tape and motion pictures under the ,following conditions:
Composition
The plastic substance must be made from inert homo- or copolymer polypropylene
with halogen-free substances used as antioxidants at a level of 1% or less.
If the plastic contains halogenated flame retardant, the weight percentage of
flame retardant should not exceed 4%.
Implementation
DRAFT
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-
Containers with falme retardant can be used for all types and designations
of film providing that the film is placed in a film storage bag which has no
detrimental effect on the film, before inserting in the container.
NN
NNS
NNB
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Oate
Reply to
Atte of
Subject
To
General National Arcnives'
Services and
Administration Records Service
Washington, DC 20408
January 31, 1985
NNPR
Specifications for Microfilm, Audio. and Motion Picture Plastic
Storage Containers
NAS-P
Thru: NNPD
NN P
PRE-PRODUCTION SAMPLE REQUESTED
Material: Inert homo- or copolymer polypropylene with a density of
0.94 eml or higher at 25 degrees C; Izod impact of
1.5 ft - lb/inch of notch for a 1/8 inch speciman (ASTM.D256A);
tensile yield strength of 3,800 psi (ASTM D638); flexural
modulus of 125 at 1.000 psi (ASTM D790); flame retardant of
ethylene bis (dibromonorborane)'dicarboximide of 3.0 to 4.0%;
UL flamability rating of V-2 or better; and with an anti-
oxidant of distearyl thiodipropionate (DSTDP) of 1.0% or less.
Weight:
Motion Picture:
Microfilm:
Audio:
1.2 lbs
60 grams
440 grams
approx.)
Dimensions:-
.o4 Motion Picture: 11-3/16 x 11-3/16 x 1-3/4" high
.080 thickness, with bosses on each
side of the top to insure snug fit
with the bottom (specifics of design
per attached drawing - PRC#1209-1-2 & 2)
Microfilm: 1-7/8" x 3-7/8" long and stand 3-7/8" high;
one-piece construction with lid held in
position with two locking mechanisms located
1-7/8" apart and being 4" wide. (specs attached)
Audio: external top: 11 5/32" x 11 5/32" x 13/16";
internal top: 10 31/32" x 10 31/32" x 21/32"
with bosses on each side of top to insure
snug fit with the bottom; external bottom:
10 15/16" x 10 15/16" x 23/32"; internal
bottom: 10 3/4" x 10 3/4" x 5/8" with a
center hub of 2-15/16" in diameter x 4" high;
overall thickness is 3/32"; overall tolerance
will be +1/64 throughout; specifics per
PRC drawing #P10000, revised 9/25/84. Minimum
wall thickness of 1.5mm, within 0.1mm tolerance
over the entire box, including bent or curved
my.
areas.
Colors: Black
cl-pv -4> - A4rivide OnlY.
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National Archives and Records Service
SPECIFICATION
Opaque Polyethylene Bag for the Packaging and Storage of
Archival Photographic Film, Photographic Plates, E. Photo-
_ .
graphic Paper--
1. Scope
This specification delineates the requirements for various
sizes of opaque high density polyethylene bags for the long
term dark storage of archival photographic film, plates,
and paper.
2. Requirements
2.1 Size - The bag size shall be as specified in the bid
request. Size specifications shall be expressed as the
flat inside width (opening) by the flat inside length.
Size tolerance shall be ? 1/8 inch.
2.2 Shape and Construction - The bags shall be of the flat
rectangular type with sealed side_seams_and a-fold?over bot-
tom- One'face?Of the bag shall be longer than the other to
provide a lip for fold over cloSing. The lip extension shall
be 1 and 1/8 inches on all size bags. The sealed side seams
shall'be 1/8 inch minimum to 1/4 inch maximum from the in-
side of the sealed area to the outside ed4e of the bag. The
side seam shall be sealed along the entire length of the
bag. The strength of the sealed seam shall be such that
the bag material will fail before the seam fails.
? 2.3 Material Composition - The bags shall be made of black
rubber modified high density polyethylene sheeting which
shall be approved by the National Archives and Records Ser-
vice for use in fabricating photographic material storage
bags. The following polyethylene sheeting and colorants
have been approved; equal substitutes must be approved by
National Archives and Records Service prior to use.
1) Tenite Polyethylene E 2655-54AE Black (rubber modified; --
containing six percent carbon black colorant).
2) Tenite Polyethylene E6837-232P Natural (rubber modified)
plus colorant. Colorants may be either of the following:
Tenite Polyethylene 808E65695 Black or Ampacet 19238 Black
in sufficient quantity to produce a film with a final carbon
content of six percent.
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2.4 Thickness - 0.0040 inches 1: 15%.
2.5 Visual Opacity - The polyethylene shall be "opaque"
in that it shall be free from pin holes, translucent
areas, gel streaks, and windows.
2.6 Photoactivity - The film bags shall be photographically
inactive.
3. Methods of Test'
3.1 Visual Opacity - Determine the presence of pinholes,
translucent areas, and windows by visual examination using
a full-width sample of the polyethylene sheeting used to
make the bags or the bags themselves. The observations
shall be made in a darkroom by an individual who has worn
dark adaptation goggles for a minimum of 10 minutes and
remained in the darkroom for a minimum of 5 minutes prior
to the test. Place the sample in the light path from a
500 watt slide projector equipped with a lens approximately
2 and 1/2 inches in diameter, or an alternate light source
approved by the National Archives. Make the observations
looking toward the light source with the sample against
the lens barrel. Report the number of pinholes, translucent
areas, and windows, and the area of the sample tested. -If
the sample has any pinholes, translucent areas, or windows,
the entire lot shall be rejected.
3.2 Photoactivity Test - Condition all films, packaging
materials, and test materials for a minimum of 4 hours at
70 It 2 ?F and 50 ?i.2pecent relative humidity.
'Three processed test film strips shall be used to determine
photoactivity - one each for the red-sensitive (cyan-dye
forming), the green-ensitive .(magenta-dye forming), and the
blue-sensitive (yellow-dye forming) emulsion layers.
Place one of each type of test film strip in-the film bag
being tested. Wrap the film bag in .001 inch thick, photo-
graphically inert, dead-soft aluminum foil and seal in a
photographically inert, heat-seal laminated foil envelope.
Prepare a check package of film without the film bag. Place
the envelopes containing the film bags in a dry air oven
for 7 days at 120 ? 2?F.
The test film shall be Kodak 7272, 16mm Color Internegative
II Film.
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The values measured for the test and check film strips shall
include D-min for each color, and the dye shift at density
1.0 for each color.
Read the densities in the specified areas with a color den-
sitometer. Take 3 readings in each area and average. The
densities of the check film are subtracted from the densi-
ties of the test f4m, and the differences are recorded.
The D-min density difference shall be + .03 or less, and
the dye shift shall be t .10 or less for each color.
If the sample fails to meet the requirements of this speci-
fication, the entire lot shall be rejected.
4. Workmanship
The bags, including the sealed seams, shall be free of rips,
tears, holes, foreign matter, dirt, dust, oil, wax, and
grease. The finished bag shall open easily, with no imped-
iment from partial seal at the opening. The bag material
shall not self adhere or "block".
5. Packing and Shipping
The bags shall be packaged flat, all oriented in the same
direction, in corrugated shipping cases lined with polyethy-
lene, in a manner to protect them from physical damage, dirt,
dust, or other contamination. The maximum weight of each
case s4a11 be 45 pounds.
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