Phthlate esters and their role in a greener world

[cdholden]

I received this letter from a fellow tree hugger at work. If others follow GE in reducing or stopping thier use of phthlate esters in the products they manufacture, what effects will this have on longevity of film base/emulsions, printer inks and mounting adhesives in the tools of our craft?

[Drew Wiley]

Why would pthalates be necessary in film base? Plasticizers are generally associated with
vinyl. And inkjet ink utilizes glycol. Decent mounting machines generally use silcione rollers, and cheap one have components from China, where pthalates are used to an insane
degree. It's about as anti-archival an ingredient as I can think of. But you might toss the
question over to Ron Mowrey on APUG, who knows a helluva lot more about this kind of thing than I do.