The IPI Facility

Incubation Lab
This room contains sixteen temperature/humidity chambers and three dry ovens, which provide controlled conditions for accelerated-aging tests. IPI also has two walk-in environmental chambers capable of maintaining a wide variety of controlled temperature and humidity levels.

Light Stability Lab
Equipment in this area tests the display life of images using simulated daylight or office lighting. The light-fastness of photos, inkjet prints, and other materials can be tested using the 50-kilolux Weatherometer and the 7-kilolux and 50-kilolux fluorescent units.

Air Pollution Lab
Here, two custom-built chambers are used to test the effects of air pollution on imaging media and enclosure materials. Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and ozone gases have been studied, using a wide range of gas concentration, temperature, and humidity levels.

Instrumentation and Physical Testing Lab
Tests on the physical properties of paper and plastics (e.g., tensile strength, brittleness, curl, folding endurance, tear, scratch resistance, and color) are performed in this area. Measurements are made on commercial equipment using standardized procedures.

Wet Chemistry Lab
Activities here include solution preparation and testing procedures, such as wet-scratch testing of photographic emulsions and testing f alkaline reserve, acidity, and pH on film, paper, and enclosures.

Microscopy Lab
This is a microscopy and digital scanning work area for the study and characterization of the various photographic processes.

Library and Study Collection
IPI has an extensive collection of literature on photographic history, technology, and preservation, as well as a 10,000-photograph study collection featuring examples of various imaging processes used over the past one hundred seventy five years.