30 Second C1 Peroxide Soak

Wert, I believe the peroxide treatment only works to reverse the sulphureting that can occur over time on yellow/orange stamps.

What if after using this method, no change is realized. I found this Scott 506 and tried the process over a week now and the stamp color has not changed. Anyone have this experience? Any other suggestions?

use a stronger peroxide?

I have to give this a go.

I've always been apprehensive to try this, but this thread has a lot of good tips.

Regards,
Stampalotapus

Is there a storage method which minimizes the sulphuretting process, i.e., will placing orange stamps in plastic mounts increase or impede the rate of color change? Does album paper make a difference, or is it the general atmosphere which causes the change?

I would imagine that repeated soaking in hydrogen peroxide degrades the pigment, since it is removal of surface material.

From someone who wrecked a lab table in college using a concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution as a catalyst, I strongly suggest that anyone avoid using or trying to make a more concentrated solution of hydrogen peroxide. It is a very unstable liquid!

StampNut,

Because it is so unstable, it also loses its strength if kept too long or stored improperly. Maybe the reason the peroxide didn't work was that it just reverted back to water. You might want to try a new or different bottle of peroxide.

Dan

Thanks Dan...I did just that and purchased a new bottle and the same result. In the past, this method has worked well on same color stamps with no reverting back after over a year...but this one stamp had me begin to question if perhaps some odd variety existed with a brown color but that proved inaccurate and I'm back to a stamp that after days of leaving in a small container elevated with (2) soaked cotton balls has provided zero effect in returning the original orange in color.

Stumped!!

Don

Don,

Earlier in the thread Ken Srail described a procedure for using a Q-tip to apply a small amount of peroxide directly on the stamp. You might take a look at that to see if it makes a difference.

Thanks essayk...but already tried that as well. Since I've done this before and it has worked well, it's really baffled me why it's failed on this particular stamp.

Soak the stamp in warm water first, before soaking in hydrogen peroxide. then repeat the soaking making sure you end the process with a warm water soak to stop the chemical process. The warm water assists the hydrogen peroxide react with the oxidized iron in the ink pigment.

Hal

Are you actually soaking the stamp or just elevating in a peroxide "sauna" ? If not, try soaking it for a few minutes

Thank you Hal,

Presto! That worked very well. One of the reasons I so appreciate this forum is there is always someone with the knowledge to resolve questions. Thanks to all who responded and hopefully the results will assist others with the same issue. Knowing these little tricks of the trade so to speak is a huge +++.

Have a great day!

Don

Not "elevating"… "activating" the hydrogen peroxide to react with the iron oxide -- just basic chemistry.

Hal

Tip to prolong the life of Hydrogen Peroxide. It should stored in a dark brown glass or HDPE bottle. Once open, re-seal tightly and store in a dark, cool area to prolong shelf life. The older the solution the weaker it gets.

Hal, I was reading Don's post as he was not actually letting it soak in the fluid but having it "elevated" above it like you would do with a mint stamp to preserve the gum. Not necessary with a used stamp of course.