posted 12-02-2005 02:03 PM                       

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Eastman Kodak Company received the 2003 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of Kodak's commitment to reducing ozone-depleting chemicals through the development of Particle Transfer Roller (PTR) technology for cleaning motion picture film. The Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award, presented as part of Earth Day celebrations worldwide, recognizes a commitment to helping prevent the release of ozone-depleting chemicals. Kodak was one of only four companies worldwide honored in 2003...

The Particle Transfer Roller was developed by Kodak in 1989. It is a specially molded soft polyurethane roller that captures dirt and dust through contact adhesion without the use of solvents. Prior to 1990, nearly all motion picture film was cleaned offline in ultrasonic cleaning machines that used a solvent known as 1,1,1-trichloroethane for particulate removal.

Kodak developed and promoted use of PTR film cleaners that could remove dirt and dust from film online during conventional film printing at labs and while motion pictures are projected at cinemas. As motion picture film glides over the PTR, dirt and dust from the film stick to the roller. The process improves motion picture film quality while eliminating the use of environmentally damaging solvents. Over the past 12 years, PTRs have supplanted 1,1,1-trichloroethane as the primary method for cleaning motion picture film worldwide....
Kodak has disclosed the technology to customers and competitors for their unrestricted use. FPC, a Kodak subsidiary, sells PTRs to motion picture labs, telecine facilities, and theater operators. PTRs are used in thousands of movie theaters around the world, including most IMAX theaters. The solvent-free process has eliminated the use of several hundred thousand pounds of ozone-depleting substances....

"It's remarkable that such a simple, compact innovation has had such a positive environmental impact worldwide," said Jonathan Banks, President of BHP, Inc., a leading manufacturer of motion picture film printing equipment sold to film laboratories. "Kodak's technology is a step forward for the entire motion-picture film industry."

The PTRs themselves are environmentally friendly in that they can be washed with water and reused once they accumulate dirt. One set of PTRs can clean an estimated 20 million feet of motion-picture print film. PTRs are generally only discarded once they harden, become physically damaged, or lose cleaning efficiency.

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