Worker 11811
03-06-2010, 11:29 AM
That's correct....the nitrate film is VERY inflammable and needs no oxygen to continue burning once lit. It also decays readily and becomes very unstable.
Nitrate film can even burn while submerged under water. Once ignited, nitrate film can not be put out by normal means. IRRC, the only chemical that can extinguish it is carbon tetrachloride. That produces toxic gas. (Cyanide ?) So, if you have a nitrate film fire, you're basically screwed. The only thing you can do, really, is to contain the fire by isolating it and letting it burn out. (Assuming you can do that without the rest of your building burning down in the process.)
To make it worse, nitrate film's decomposition is autocatalytic. In other words, the byproducts of decomposition will cause the film to degrade faster and faster the more they build up.
And, finally, yes, nitrate film can spontaneously combust. However, it doesn't just burst into flames for no reason. It has to decompose for quite a while before it can self ignite. It has to reach a sustained temperature of over 100º F (38º C) before it will catch fire. So, while it can be dangerous, it's not exactly like a bomb waiting to go off.
That having been said, I would not keep nitrate film in my house! I believe standard practice is to have it duplicated. If the nitrate original is important enough where it must be preserved, it should be stored some place safe. If it is not important it should be destroyed after it is duplicated.
I have worked in movie theaters for just a little over 15 years, now and I have only seen nitrate film one time. That was during a demonstration about nitrate film and its dangers. I have never come across it in actual practice.
In some jurisdictions it is not legal to bring nitrate film into a projection room which is not specifically outfitted for its use. That's why you often see signs that say, "Safety Film Only" on the doors to projection rooms.
Kodak's website has lots of good information on the storage and handling of nitrate film: http://motion.kodak.com/US/en/motion/Support/Technical_Information/Storage/storage_nitrate.htm
Nitrate film can even burn while submerged under water. Once ignited, nitrate film can not be put out by normal means. IRRC, the only chemical that can extinguish it is carbon tetrachloride. That produces toxic gas. (Cyanide ?) So, if you have a nitrate film fire, you're basically screwed. The only thing you can do, really, is to contain the fire by isolating it and letting it burn out. (Assuming you can do that without the rest of your building burning down in the process.)
To make it worse, nitrate film's decomposition is autocatalytic. In other words, the byproducts of decomposition will cause the film to degrade faster and faster the more they build up.
And, finally, yes, nitrate film can spontaneously combust. However, it doesn't just burst into flames for no reason. It has to decompose for quite a while before it can self ignite. It has to reach a sustained temperature of over 100º F (38º C) before it will catch fire. So, while it can be dangerous, it's not exactly like a bomb waiting to go off.
That having been said, I would not keep nitrate film in my house! I believe standard practice is to have it duplicated. If the nitrate original is important enough where it must be preserved, it should be stored some place safe. If it is not important it should be destroyed after it is duplicated.
I have worked in movie theaters for just a little over 15 years, now and I have only seen nitrate film one time. That was during a demonstration about nitrate film and its dangers. I have never come across it in actual practice.
In some jurisdictions it is not legal to bring nitrate film into a projection room which is not specifically outfitted for its use. That's why you often see signs that say, "Safety Film Only" on the doors to projection rooms.
Kodak's website has lots of good information on the storage and handling of nitrate film: http://motion.kodak.com/US/en/motion/Support/Technical_Information/Storage/storage_nitrate.htm