Cellulose nitrate film stock

Cellulose nitrate film was used for 35 mm photographic roll film and photographic sheets until 1940 and was used for amateur formats and aerial photography until 1950. Celluloid film definition of celluloid film by the free. The crucial advantage cellulose triacetate had over nitrate was that it was no more of a fire risk than paper the stock is often erroneously referred to as nonflam. Cellulose acetate film was manufactured by kodak as early as 1908, and was the standard film stock for amateur movie gauges like 16mm from their inception putting nitrate film stock in the hands of amateurs would have been tantamount to manslaughter. Introduction to nitrate film national science and media. If the film were to break during a movie, the stopped. Preserving your collection of filmbased photographic. Cellulose acetate film, also known as safety film, is not flammable like cellulose nitrate film, but it is also unstable and undergoes an autocatalytic degradation mechanism that results in embrittlement, shrinkage, and eventual total loss of the image. In august 1889, eastman kodak began selling the first photographic negatives on cellulose nitrate flexible film support. We offer tips on how to identify nitrate film, safely store and discard it, and even digitize it. All amateur film stocks were safety film, but the use of nitrate. Lac group is one of the few remaining providers of nitrate film restoration and preservation services in the united states.

Standard for the storage and handling of cellulose nitrate. A friend of mine has thousands of rolls of old nitrocellulose film in his archive. The health and safety executive in the united kingdom provides a pamphlet on the dangers of cellulose nitrate film. Eastman kodak manufactured cellulose nitrate film at rochester. Created by the treatment of cotton cellulose with nitric acid or more frequently, a mix of sulfuric and nitric acids, guncotton, as its name sug. When film was first made it used cellulose nitrate as the base on which the light sensitive minerals were applied. Most 35mm film stock before the early 1950s had a cellulose nitrate base. Flammable, inflammable, and combustible, if ignited, nitrateor cellulose nitrate, or nitrocel lulose1film stock. Do not exceed 70 f inside the storage vault, and maintain the relative humidity below 50. Professional films were often coated on cellulose nitrate, which is the nasty, inflamable and almost unextinguishable stuff. The negative film is then printed by allowing light to pass through it onto a second strip of film, creating a positive film for projection.

Nitrocellulose is guncotton the first replacement propellant for gun powder in firearms. Nitrate film uses highly flammable and toxic cellulose nitrate as a base. You may see nitrate film, safety film or just the letter s, which also was used on safety film. In photographic archives, active preservation efforts focus on the film based materials.

Evaluating the extent of deterioration the nitrate film you have in storage may be middleaged, but. Cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate are the two types of unstable plastics used as the support for photographic film. This leaflet is for private individuals and voluntary groups who have or find old film in domestic or other nonworkplace premises. Identifying and handling nitrate film association of moving image. Table 1 shows the types of products that can be made from cellulose nitrate stock of different nitrogen contents. Film preservation, or film restoration, describes a series of ongoing efforts among film historians, archivists, museums, cinematheques and nonprofit organizations to rescue decaying film stock and preserve the images which they contain. Cellulose nitrate base film is relatively unstable. Nitrate burn nitrate film trailer set on fire youtube.

The ce marking regulations mean that iso 12870 has had to be followed since the 1990s and so since then nitrate has been illegal in the uk by default. Handling, storage and transport of the cellulose nitrate film. This odor is unmistakable when a quantity of nitrate film has been stored, especially in a nonventilated area. Storage and handing of processed nitrate film motion. Cellulose nitrate film stock was in commercial use through the early 1950s, when it was replaced by cellulose acetate plastic safety film. Originally, glass plates were used as a substrate, but during wwi were replaced first with cellulose. Decomposing films stored in metal film cans may also be covered in very fine brown. It is highly flammable and also decomposes with age, becoming toxic. Cellulose nitrate film is one material that is often demonized due to its combustible chemical composition. Cellulose nitrate spectacles college of optometrists. The movie houses of that era used carbon arc as the projection light source.

Diacetate did not have the flammability problems of nitrate, but was more susceptible to turn into acetic acid vinagering. Cellulose nitrate film material was the first successful transparent, flexible stock. Cellulose nitrate was the standard film stock in commercial use prior to 1951. We have decades of experience and personnel who are trained and certified in the handling of cellulose nitrate base film, a highly sensitive stock produced prior to the early 1950s. In the 1930s, film manufacturers introduced safety film with a cellulose triacetate plastic base.

Though beloved by buffs for its vivid image quality, cellulose nitrate is flammable and was replaced by cellulose. Nitrate film definition, film stock using a base of cellulose nitrate. Introduction to nitrate film national science and media museum blog. But theres physical danger involved in nitrate film. Nitrate film is a dangerous old film format thats highly flammable. Cellulose nitrate film negatives old celluloid film canisters. Most of the early black and white films were shot with this type of film. Acetate film stock, due to its development as a safe alternative to cellulose. Nitrocellulose is guncotton the first replacement propellant for gun powder in firearms film stock with a nitrate base was the first transparent flexible plasticized base commercially available, thanks to celluloid developments by john carbutt. Film had to be transparent and flexible enough to run through the camera and projectors, says smith, and this engineering problem was solved by invention of cellulose nitrate. Cellulose nitrate has a characteristic acid odor, similar to that of nitric acid.

Finding a nitrate film that is safe to project is a challenge, which has made seeing nitrate on the big screen an exceedingly rare experience. After numerous fires caused by unstable nitrate films, safety film started to be used from the 1930s in the case of x. Cellulose nitrate was first used as a base for photographic roll film by george eastman in 1889. Rayle demonstrates the flammability of old nitrate film stock as compared to modern safety film by setting an old nitrate movie trailer on fire.

Film stock is an analog medium that is used for recording motion pictures or animation. Until the early 1950s, all movies were made with cellulose nitratebased film stock, which is inherently unstable and highly flammable, prone to rapid decomposition if not properly conserved. Taking pre1950s nitrate film from the vault to the screen. All nonnitrate film stocks are referred to as safety, as safety films are not hazardous materials. Early film stock was made of cellulose nitrate, an extremely flammable plastic.

If you store it in large quantities of about 5,000 feet or more and in non approved storage cabinets without proper. Safety film was the name given to cellulose acetate, the base material that replaced cellulose nitrate. Evaluating the extent of deterioration the nitrate film you have in storage may be middleaged, but if it was properly stored, it may be quite usable. Visual inspectionmost film stock made after 1920 was marked along the edges. It is recorded on by a movie camera, developed, edited, and projected onto a screen using a movie projector. History, science and storage of cellulose acetate film base. Cellulose nitrate was never actually banned directly and carried on being used for a few years after the flammability standard was introduced. Nitrate degradation is a slow chemical process that occurs because of two factors.

The cinema century april 20, 1918 wake forest university. It made roll film and motion picture cine film possible. In the literature of photography nitrate is used as a synonym for the chemical nitrocellulose. Because of its flammability, nitrate base film stock was never used by american manufacturers for 16mm and 8mm film and was not sold by kodak to the home market. Cellulose nitrate definition of cellulose nitrate by the. Cellulose triacetate superseded nitrate as the film industrys mainstay base very quickly. Cellulose nitrate is made by nitration processes that replace varying amounts of hydroxyl groups of cellulose with nitrate groups. Nitrate film stock nitrate film stock is a derivative of guncotton, a substance whose discov ery is usually attributed to germanswiss chemist christian friedrich schonbein in the 1840s. It is impossible to put out a nitrate fire but according to legend it can be put out within the first 10 seconds of catching alight. Storage and handing of processed nitrate film motion picture film.

Cellulose nitrate film stock was introduced in the late 1800s as a medium to hold the emulsion that carries a photographic image. Care, handling, and storage of motion picture film. Finding a nitrate film that is safe to project is a challenge, which has made seeing nitrate on. Celluloid film synonyms, celluloid film pronunciation, celluloid film translation, english dictionary definition of celluloid film. It is a strip or sheet of transparent plastic film base coated on one side with a gelatin emulsion containing microscopically small lightsensitive silver halide crystals.

Whilst earlier cellulose acetate bases were incorporated in manufacturing 8mm and 16mm film stock, cellulose triacetate was commonly used in 35mm studio films in the late 1940s 5. Health and safety executive the dangers of cellulose nitrate film page 3 of 6 a noticeable acrid odour that may range from being a faintly irritating smell to strongly irritating fumes. The requirements of this standard, therefore, apply strictly to longterm storage of cellulose nitrate film. Store deteriorated cellulose nitrate films separate from other cellulose nitrate films. Storing and handling cellulose nitrate film with nfpa 40. Disposal of cellulose nitrate film introduction cellulose nitrate nitrate film was manufactured from about 19101950 for use as a nonbreakable, lightweight alternative to glass plate photographic negatives. All of the movies will be all shown on their original nitrate film stock from a specially designed projector room replete with metal shutters, fire. While kodak had discontinued some nitrate film stocks earlier, they stopped producing various nitrate roll films in 1950 and ceased production of nitrate 35 mm motion picture film in 1951. Unfortunately, cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetates are unstable.

Display and storage of museum objects containing cellulose. Its unstable, combustible, and contains a substance that was also used in explosives. Kodak, and other suppliers, used placticized nitrocellulose as a film base in photograph, xray films and motion picture films. Archives which do not have nitrate stock in their collections may find this information useful when they receive nitrate films from another country.

The shots mainly passport pics and wedding pics from the 1950s are not particularly worth preserving, besides ip rights issues probably block further use sale. In the widest sense, preservation nowadays assures that a movie will continue to exist in as close to its original form as possible. A look at cellulose acetate film an academic paper. At the same time, amateur films were coated on cellulose diacetate. Cellulose nitratebased cinematographic film 35 mm gauge was mostly used until the early 50s, but it retained usage in some countries for a number of years after then. It catches fire very easily and one alight is difficult to put out. Nitrate film stock has been praised for the beauty of its images and for truly allowing cinematographers to paint with light whites pop off the screen, blacks are deep and rich, and grey tones. The dangerous beauty of cellulose nitrate film bbc.