Synthetic polymers used in restoration and conservation

In Spanish

The materials used in heritage conservation haven´t been developed, for specific use in this area, they have other industrial uses. Most receive some trade names which can hardly deduce its composition, to which must be added that many materials are subject to patents and the manufacturer does not usually give all the information. They are also materials that will be in contact with the work, directly or within the context of manipulation, exposition and storage of works of art and cultural property and its deterioration could damage it. For all that, the materials used in conservation and restoration treatments should be subject to previous studies to identify its components and establish long-term behavior. When dealing with polymeric materials of synthetic origin is necessary to identify the additives and fillers that may have been added in processing. This objective can be achieved by various instrumental techniques, among which FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and pyrolysis coupled to a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer.

To study the deterioration of the material and changing their behavior is essential to know the main factors responsible for degradation of synthetic polymers, and apply artificial aging conditions appropriate to these materials, besides quantifying the evolution of damage against at the time of physical properties (color, morphological and mechanical).

The content of the class is divided into the following sections:

Introduction: importance of characterization of polymers used in equity.
Analysis Methodology
- Analysis techniques
- Artificial aging
Polymer degradation factor
Conclusions