The partial recovery of dried-in stress imparted during the initial drying of protein systems is often attributed to the effects of water. A partial release of stress would result in a permanent, non-recoverable, loss of linear dimension across the plane of the albumen layer. As already mentioned, a freshly made albumen binder will contain a high proportion of denatured proteins. Liquid water and cycles of elevated humidity could cause the more linear, denatured proteins to revert to more compact molecules of lower potential energy. The result of such a change would be an increase in compressive stress in the binder layer as the denatured protein contracts along its linear dimension.
Further work is required in order to quantify the specific effects of water on the albumen proteins.
X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry are methods commonly used to detect protein conformation changes. These techniques could be adapted to help gauge the effects of water on the conformation of albumen proteins molecules. Mechanical studies of cast albumen films would also help establish the rheological behavior of the albumen proteins when exposed to water or water vapor. The extent of cracking has important implications for the appearance, preservation and treatment of the photograph. Cracked albumen will scatter, rather than transmit a larger proportion of light, causing maximum image densities to loose intensity and depth.