The effect of disinfection methods on the stability of photographic gelatin

Abstract

The influence of disinfection methods on paper-based archival and library materials has been well documented and, thus, these methods are commonly used in paper conservation. However, little is known about the effect of these methods on the emulsion layer of photographic prints, which is often formed by photographic gelatin. In this paper, we examine the stability of photographic gelatin after disinfection by three methods: γ-radiation, ethylene oxide and butanol vapors. The degree of gelatin degradation and its possible mechanism were determined by monitoring its molar weight (by measuring its intrinsic viscosity), primary structure (by amino acid analysis), and secondary structure (by FTIR spectroscopy and XRD). The smallest risk to the material was posed by butanol vapors, which suggests that this is a promising disinfection method for photographic prints based on gelatin.