Hole Punch Paper Protector Chemistry Question

Hello all,

I saw this on SCF from 2014: https://goscf.com/t/27436 and while it has some good information it didn't seem prudent resurrecting a ten year old thread with a similar question.

As for hole punch reinforcers such as the "Avery Self-Adhesive Hole Reinforcement Stickers, 1/4" Diameter Hole Punch Reinforcement Labels (5722)"
I am wondering if there are any chemists or experts on SCF that can touch on how the polyvinyl material that it's made of would affect the durability of 100% cotton paper I'm using to make albums.

I understand that some would say making the albums as "archival" as possible is a delaying-the-inevitable thing, but I would like to make an album that lasts as long as possible from decay.

My question for the experts being, would a material such as the polyvinyl hole punch protectors cause any serious deleterious effects on or to the paper? Or would the risks (if any) be so low that it would be negligible?

Thank you very much.

Not an expert, but I use paper reinforcements for all of my pages and have for that last 15 years. In the beginning, I used the polyvinyl reinforcements but found that they shed adhesive onto the binder posts making them sticky which in turn triggered my OCD. It was no longer a problem after switching to paper reinforcements.

As to whether they will have any effect on the "archival" quality of the collection...I'll leave that to the experts.

"Polyvinyl" is not a product as such. So Avery doesn't really tell you anything if they say polyvinyl rings. If it is polyvinylchloride (PVC) you will be screwed at some point in time. Also you don't know what the "sticky part" of the ring is made of. That adhesive substance may or may not be the thing that starts degradation (which can take a long time under best storage conditions, and usually shows up as slight yellowing).

Personally, after seeing how my 30+ L** stamp albums with "safe PVC pouches" (some are 40 years old by now) have destroyed a few of my booklet panes, I'd recommend staying away from stuff that says "Polyvinyl..".

If you use this stuff, carefuly check if you see any slight discoloration of the rings and ring surroundings every year (it may take 15+ years though until slight degradation might show).

Good archival stuff usually is made of polypropylene (which may also degrade after long times) or mylar.

What works best for me is using archival glue to adhere a piece of paper over the problem hole. Then I punch the hole out again. This is stronger than the original.

I have plenty of old pages lying around to cut up, so the color is a good match too.

Thank you all for your advice and info! I will look into Mylar or making my own as alub suggested.

I've found it a whole lot (that's a pun, folks) easier to NOT use hole rings at all, but instead to use hole protector patches made of mylar or some other product that is compatible with stamp albums. I buy strips of what are usually sold as edge protectors and are sold in about 1" wide strips. I cut them into perfect squares and apply them to each side of the hole on a page and then simply hole punch through them. This is not work you can do fast, but I only do this for my fly leaves and other important pages since my album paper is very sturdy and does not rip at the holes.

If you're looking to add hole protector rings of the usual kind to ALL your pages, I'd suggest using much sturdier paper instead which obviates the need for hole protectors.

I'd also warn you that as you add these hole protectors, especially if you add them to both sides of the pages, you are quickly going to discover that you're stacking up a vast number of these rings to such an extent the pages will not sit right in your binder. They will be very thick on the bound edge, awkwardly so, and very loose on the outer edge -- and that is going to look very strange indeed.

This is what I use. They are clear. The dispenser has a dimple to help center over the hole.