Acid-absorbing inter-wind film

Most movie film made before the late 1980's has been made of either cellulose nitrate or cellulose acetate. Cellulose nitrate poses not only conservation difficulties, but also safety problems (since it is extremely flammable, can occasionally self-ignite, and can even burn under water). Acetate films don't pose nearly as much risk to nearby personnel, but can nonetheless pose severe conservation problems because cellulose acetate decomposes, giving off acetic acid, and the acetic acid vapor in turn hastens decomposition.

There are commercially available products that can be put in sealed film cans along with movie film to provide some protection; these products will absorb acetic acid and water vapor, thus reducing the concentration of acetic acid in the air inside the can. Unfortunately, film that isn't near the edges of the reel can't "breathe" as well as film at the edges, and so concentrations of acetic acid can build up there, causing degredation and eventual failure.

I would suggest that film which is showing signs of possible "vinegar syndrome" could be wrapped along with a specially-treated acid-absorbing film material. Although each reel would only be able to hold half as much film as would otherwise be the case (assuming the acid absorbing material was about as thick as the film stock), the extra bulk would be a small price to pay if the improved exposure to the acid-absorbing material meant that "vinegration" was significantly slowed down.