PVC & Vinyl on Rag Paper

Hello,

In the "Currency Storage" post, the issue was raised as to types of plastic and chemicals in currency pages. I have always used Cowen's (which reek of shower curtain, so I am sure they have PVC within) under the rationale that "well, I'm storing paper and not metal. What does it matter?"

Is this the correct logic? Can certain pages harm paper, and if so, what would it do?

 

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PVC is very bad for paper money.

 

How?

 

If it's very bad for Paper Money, why do they make it for Paper Money ?.
Bill Collector

 

PVC can leech into the note and cause the paper to get a waxy feel. It can also cause certain intaglio inks to become like goo.

For an example of PVC damage, see this thread over at collectors universe.

http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=23&threadid=654657&highlight_key=y&keyword1=pvc

If it's very bad for Paper Money, why do they make it for Paper Money ?.

Why do they make coin holders out of it when it is also bad for coins?

 

PVC damages paper money even more so than coins. At least on a coin you can possibly remove the damage with acetone.

The store I go to uses pvc pages on notes. Last time I went through it, the notes that stayed in them the longest were yellowish. Also the pages were all stuck together and I had to peel them apart to see the notes.

 

Serious card collectors use PVC free.

PVC is for pipe not archival storage.

 

The Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) polymer is made with chlorine and ethylene gas. The resulting polymer is white, brittle powder. To make it into a currency sleeve, requires additives including heat stabilizers and plasticizers. Heat stabilizers are required because PVC to prevent loss of hydrochloric acid as the PVC degrades. Heat stabilizers are usually some type of metal derivative. The plasticizers are oily substances called phthalates. The plasticizers are mixed with PVC to soften it, but the plasticizers don't form chemical bonds with the PVC — They exist as a mixture with the PVC.


PVC is not recommended for archival storage because the additives may leach from the PVC over an extended period of time. If plasticizers are not added to PVC, then the PVC may be ok for archival quality plastic. Unplasticized PVC products will be hard plastic sleeves or containers.


Polymers recommended for archival storage such as Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) are strong, thermo-stable and transparent. These type of polymers are also used for food storage because there is a minimal amount of transfer of substances in the plastic and the food.

 

That's like saying why do they have PVC flips if they damage coins, they are less expensive and have a few upsides

 

One good thing about PVC flips is that a lot of dealers use them, they are made for things to be stored in for a short period of time, like for a dealer, and they are cheaper

 

Now I get it, it's all about the money, the kind you fold up and put in your pocket. And a lot of dealers use them because there cheap, your talking about the flips and the currency holders not the dealers right.

How much cheaper can it be, sounds like it would only be a few pennys to me and that's not any kind of real savings. I would sooner pay a few pennys more to a dealer that seems to care about what he's selling by puting it in a proper holder.
Bill Collector

 

Every time I read a PVC thread I think about BCW Rigid Toploaders.

[h=2]The PVC used in BCW Toploads contain no plasticizers or stearates. Our high impact grade PVC does not migrate and will not harm your cards, photos or Currency, while offering maximum protection and visual appeal.[/h][h=2]- Holds Large Bills Older US Currency
- Crystal clear
- Made of high impact rigid PVC[/h]

 

BCW has made many claims that there supplies are archival safe. There is a huge debate about their comic book supplies. Many collectors stay away from BCW products.

 

I gathered there is a debate. I use mylar for my bills not in TPG holders but I am giving some little starter sets to my nephews and the Rigid Toploaders seem like a good idea for 8 to 11 year-olds. So I am very conflicted.

 

Well, if they use 1,000 of them and the non PVC is 10 cents each, and the pvc is 5 cents each, that is 5.00

 

Come on,
An extra $ 5.00 per 1000 is nothing, any dealer could make that up on one sale. And if a dealer is really that cheap I don't think I would want to deal with them.
Bill Collector

 

Well, it ads up, and, they do Not damage the items, because they are in there for very little time, even 6 months, they are ok, it's the, 3 years in PVC you wanna look out for, but, it's like buying a car with a gps, for 1,000 dollars more, even know you don't need the gps, they dont want to pay extra for a solution to a problem they don't have

 

I think that you will find the archival polymer sleeves in the price range of 50¢ to 60¢ per sleeve. The BCW deluxe vinyl currency sleeve is approximately 15¢.

 

Well,
I would sooner be safe than sorry. And any dealer that would worry about $ 5.00 per 1000 cant be all that good of a dealer to subject a collectors item to damage, how does any one know how long the item has been in the PVC.
Bill Collector

 

Your argument would be stronger and more persuasive if you used $50.00 instead of $5.00.