Dear rknewcomb,
The question you ask happens to be referenced in many archival notes and dissertations, but the best answers, and reports are located with the International Standards Organization. Storing finished art work is a science, and a science that can easily be misunderstood, because many web sites have seriously outdated information and, or propagate useless urban legends, regarding many hearsay archival properties.
The quickest answer for the moment, which is a precis from the following ISO texts and dissertations, happens to be as follows:
Avoid any wooden or wood by-product enclosure, because wooden structures will transfer harmful offgas contaminants to the surface of your artwork, such as lignin derivatives, various peroxides, and wood processing oils, which are entrained within the wooden materials during the manufacturing process, or post preparation. Metal cabinets seem to be the accepted standard today, but you must be made aware that metal cabinets require archival properties too, such as the metal cabinet can only made of non-combustible, non-corrosive materials such as stainless steel, anodized aluminum, or steel with powder-coated finishes. If metal cabinets do not meet these specifications, they will eventually transfer harmful offgas contaminants to the surface of any artwork, because the metal paint's finishing process, and paint's curing procedure is surely suspect.
I studied this issue for several years because I was curious, and because of that curiosity, I collect reference data.
I believe these references will help you…
jim k
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