Hi Erin,

One of the very best materials resources out there today is CAMEO 
(Conservation and Art Materials Encyclopedia Online) that is sponsored 
by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. They have a searchable database 
thart covers everything from ancient to modern materials used in art 
and conservation. Their web site address is:

www.mfa.org/cameo

Here is the description for "Polyolfin:


"A general name for polymers or copolymers made from olefin 
hydrocarbons. The most common polyolefins are polyethylene and 
polypropylene. Isobutylene was the first olefin to be polymerized in 
1873, but it was not made into a commercial product until 
I.G.Farbenindustrie of Germany developed it as a rubber substitute in 
the 1930s. Ethylene was first polymerized by ICI in England in the 
1930s and it became an important plastic during W.W.II for fibers. 
Large scale applications for polyolefins were developed in the 1960s 
when olefins were recognized as inexpensive raw materials."

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California, USA


-----Original Message-----
From: Erin Storc <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent:         Mon, 29 Aug 2005 10:03:24 -0700
Subject: polyolefin ?

   Has anyone had experience using polyolefin?  I would
like to know if closed-cell polyolefin/polyethylene
pipe insulation is artifact-friendly as I'm hoping to
use it in constructing affordable mannequins for an
upcoming exhibit and conference workshop.  The specs
on the product say it's formaldehyde free, fiber free,
dust free, resists mold and mildew, has low VOCs, and
is made without using CFCs, HFCs or HCFCs.  Any advice
or additional direction on the use of polyolefin is
greatly appreciated!

Erin Storc
Museum and Education Intern
State Historical Society of North Dakota

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