CELLULOSE NITRATE FILM
BASE
Synonyms: Nitrate, Celluloid
Cellulose Nitrate was used for most film formats from the start of the
cinema except for some 28mm, 9.5mm, Standard 8mm and Super 8mm. 16mm is almost
always safety; 16mm nitrate is very rare - Russia sometimes slit 35mm nitrate
into 16mm.
Cellulose Nitrate is HIGHLY INFLAMMABLE (see
pictures below of a nitrate fire), can spontaneously
combust (self ignite) and decomposes.
FIRE at Hendersons Film Labs 4 July 1993
Decomposing Nitrate
Click on thumbnails for larger picture
Extracts from a Nitrate Health and Safety PowerPoint.
One of the ways to test for nitrate is the burn test.
A piece of film about 1/8" inch wide is put in a bulldog clip with a
similar piece of known acetate film. A lighted match is applied to the
safety film; it will not burn upwards. The flame is applied to the
nitrate and it will rapidly burn upwards
The first safety film base was Cellulose Diacetate introduced for 28mm
amateur format in 1911. Cellulose TriAcetate
introduced around 1940.
Slides from
Vinegar Syndrome PowerPoint
Cellulose Triacetate suffers from Vinegar Syndrome decomposition.
Please contact me if you require further or more detailed information;
particularly regarding Health and Safety aspects of Nitrate and
also Vinegar Syndrome. You can email me at brianrpritchatd@aol.com,
