One thing to try
Re: ID for one more -- paeonia Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Rosanna Post Reply
10/07/2016, 09:04:04

I'm just starting to dabble in identifying old plastics - but here's something you can try if you're willing to run the beads under hot water. Run tap water as hot as you can get it, then heat up one or two beads by holding them under the water until they are hot also. Immediately sniff the beads. Celluloid will give off a distinct odor of camphor (like Vick's Vapo-rub). Galalith will smell like wet dog or burned milk. If you get no odor, then you'll have to try more aggressive testing.

I've had one comment from an eBay seller that some types of Celluloid were made without camphor, possibly in Japan, but I have not been able to verify this. Up until the early 1940's, Celluloid (which is the brand name for cellulose acetate plastic, which replaced the more flammable cellulose nitrate in 1927) was made with camphor according to my old industrial plastics textbooks. Celluloid today is mostly found in ping pong balls and guitar picks. If you puncture or otherwise abrade a ping-pong ball, you will get the distinct camphor odor for comparison.

I don't know if the hot water will damage the beads so please proceed at your own risk! They may be another material that is coated rather than pearlescent so be careful.

The hot needle test will also give similar info if you're willing to try that.

Bottom line, though, is that I normally have to at minimum disassemble a necklace so I can test a single bead by reaming the hole and smelling the odor from that operation, which usually works as a definitive ID. And if that doesn't work I proceed with more destructive testing.



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