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Fabrics and Yellowing

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meerkat:
This is related to the initial question re yellowing of fabrics, which I am desperate to learn more about. I recently bought two vintage club chairs I adore (circa 1970s/80s) and had them reupholstered in an oyster white synthetic outdoor fabric (100% polyolefine) that our cats won’t butcher.

Within a month of us bringing home the newly upholstered chairs in this gorgeous fabric, they started yellowing in different parts. We immediately sent the chairs back to the upholsterer who wasn't sure what the deal was but agreed to redo the chairs: they sealed the wood with a water-based sealant again, lined it with cotton this time, and then put the fabric on top. They were perfect upon arrival yet once again, the chairs have yellowed, this time after 6 weeks.

We can’t figure out if it’s a chemical reaction b/c of the synthetic fabric, if something is coming up from the wood, or what the deal is. No one seems to have any clue. What we can tell is that the yellowing is coming through and radiating on the fabric where the wood seems to be on the other side, so perhaps something wasn't sealed properly with the water-based sealant.

We are sending the chairs to a woodworker who is going to sand them down and put a strong oil-based sealant on them. We may try a new fabric this time, but wondering if anyone would know why any fabric would turn yellow in such a short period of time. Would the synthetic fabric be the reason? Otherwise, even if these chairs sat in a damp basement for years, wouldn't that be mitigated by a wood sealant? Or was the sealer not strong enough? Why would something oxidize SO quickly? I can find nothing on this anywhere. Hoping three times will be a charm for us in this endeavor. Thank you so much for any insight

Corribus:
Hard to speculate without more information. The pattern of yellowing can tell you a lot about where it's coloring, as can where the fabric is being stored. It could be something leeching from the wood, as you suggested. It could also be something that the fabric is treated with - say, upon exposure to sunlight. A good "control" experiment would be to put a sample of the fabric next to the chair for a while and see if it yellows - this will tell you whether it is something in the fabric itself or something in proximity to it (wood from the chair).

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