Pacific Silvercloth

 Pacific Silvercloth

• Tarnish protection for silver, copper and other metals
• Proven for years in museums and in silver shops
• Protects against harmful gases: hydrogen sulphide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and chlorides
• Cotton impregnated with silver particles
• Roll width 1170 mm
• Price per linear meter
• Also available as custom made bags!

Principle

Pacific Silvercloth is made of cotton, in which thousands of silver particles are incorporated. During production, a cotton cloth is impregnated with silver nitrate and then the silver is precipitated on the cotton cloth. The surface of the fibers is thus covered  by pure, colloidal silver, which offers the pollutant gases a very large surface of reaction. A silver object surrounded by this cloth will be perfectly protected as all gases harmful to silver already will react with the silver of the cloth before they reach the actual silver object. Pacific Silvercloth does not release any chemicals and thus has no harmful effect on other art objects. The brown color is due to the colloidal silver.

is a 100% cotton fabric embedded with thousands of fine silver particles. It is produced by precipitation of pure, colloidal silver on a cotton fabric. The fabric absorbs tarnish producing gases before they reach the silver items. It is 96,5 cm wide, napped and comes in only one colour which is brown (colour of the colloidal silver on the fibres). Pacific Silvercloth is twice as effective as fabrics embedded with zinc or other metals. It can be effective for several decades depending on the environment. It can be used for silver on display and in storage cabinets.

Application

The important factor is not the quantity of Silvercloth (inside showcases, the quantity of H₂S to absorb will be relatively small) but where you place it. You should place it close to the leaks of the showcase where the polluted air is supposed to enter the case. Protection will be perfect if you can make sure that the pollutants have to pass through or along Pacific Silvercloth before reaching your silver object. For showcases with doors we recommend to cover the vertical joints with clear tape 3M Type 850.

It can be placed directly on silver or glued to drawers or cabinet walls

If for optical reasons you cannot place Pacific Silvercloth close to the doors then you should try to offer a maximum surface of Silvercloth to the pollutants so there will be a high probability that the pollutants will react with the Silvercloth rather than react with the object.

For silverware in frequent use (like in churches) protective bags can be custom made using Pacific Silvercloth. If drawers are to be lined with Pacific Silvercloth, an extra lap should cover the drawer in order to completely surround the objects contained. Absorption of pollutants changes the colour of the fabric from brown to black, so the colour gives a certain indication whether the fabric is still effective. 

Wear a dust mask when working with the cloth.

What is silvercloth suitable for?

Pacific Silvercloth is particularly suitable for silverware in storage cabinets or in liturgical use. We sew custom made bags or covers. The cloth is well proven in museums and silverware shops.

General information on tarnish protection for silver and copper

In addition to hydrogen sulfide, some harmful gases such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and chlorine are responsible for the tarnishing of silver, whereby the relative humidity is also important. The previously practiced methods to protect silver - such as paints, coatings or volatile chemical substances (VCI) - have all shown adverse effects. The use of pollutant absorbers, however, prevents tarnishing of the silver without affecting or changing the silver surface.

General pollutant absorbers such as Purafil or activated carbon are able to significantly delay the tarnishing of silver. Comparative tests have shown, however, that special absorbers based on modified zinc oxide or cloths with silver particles perform even better.

Oddy tested - info upon request