Terry, the retr0bright process (and Merlin) also mentiones "The permanent
fix it is to coat it with clear satin acrylic lacquer to seal the surface
off from the air." Basically stating the process can eventuall reverse
itself it you don't and sealing it with an anti-UV laquer provides "No
oxygen, no oxidation." It's a very light acrylic, usually used for
preserving paintings/drawings/etc.
I've also seen some people mention using Armorall spray or 303 Aerospace
Protectant Wipes,
On Tue, Jan 15, 2013 at 2:41 PM, Terry Stewart <terry at webweavers.co.nz>wrote:
Wasn't it
oxygen which bound with the bromium and UV helped that process?
Yes, as far as I know that is correct, but I'd always assumed (maybe
wrongly) that a reasonable amount of UV light was needed to facilitate
this. Based on what's happened it may be that very little UV (if any)
is needed. In the case of my Retr0Brighted cases....just a few days
exposure per year under florescents (i.e. the time I had the computers
out of the box to play with or test) seemed to be all that was needed.
Merlin, in his writeup in the Retr0Bright wiki
(
http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com) does say even low levels from
florescent lights is enough. I'd always assumed this was everyday
exposure though. Perhaps with some plastics UV is not needed at all?
I have heard of cases where people have put a shiny white computer in
a sealed box for storage only to find a cheese-yellow artifact when
they drag it out years later.
There is something more puzzling. Let's assume yellowing can occur in
the absence of much (or any) UV light. Why then are those cord
markings on the Apple IIe and Vic 20 reappearing? You would have
expected any further yellowing of my cases, even with low levels of
UV, to be consistent across the case surface now the cords are not
there. All surfaces would be exposed to equal amount of oxygen or
brief light. However the cord impressions (which protected the
plastic under them from initial yellowing) are re-appearing?
The question I have in my mind therefore is "do the changes in the
chemical structure cause by the initial yellowing (OR perhaps the
RetroBrighting itself) make the plastic MORE prone to future 2BR.O
co-ordinant bonds or/and migration of these to the surface of the case
(hence causing yellowing)? " Or is something else going on?
Whatever is happening, the practical implications are that even brief
and very very low levels of UV seem to be enough to re-yellow
retr0Brighted surfaces over time. There is not enough evidence in my
case to say that UV is not needed AT ALL, as all the units had been
exposed briefly a few times a year, to fluorescent light.
Tez
--
Marty