Analysis of Plastics Used in Cultural Heritage
A team of Conservation Institute scientists undertook in-depth analytical studies on plastics used in cultural heritage, focusing on their identification and characterization, degradation, and preservation. These studies are conducted using an extended range of analytical instrumentation.
The team has carried out a methodical study of the analytical techniques scientists can use to identify the many types of plastics used in cultural heritage. The abilities and limitations of both noninvasive and invasive techniques have been evaluated and a range of analytical procedures for the identification of plastics has been established. Identifying plastics used in artworks is the first step toward understanding how these artworks will respond to specific environmental conditions and ultimately how they can best be conserved.
Much of the work of this component was performed as part of a consortium of European institutions and laboratories through POPART (Preservation Of Plastic Artefacts in Museum Collections) a 42-month international research project funded by the European Commission. Twelve partners worked together to establish protocols for analyzing, examining and conserving these artifacts for future generations to enjoy and study.
POPART Consortium members: Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections, Paris; Instituut Collectie Nederland, Amsterdam; National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen; Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia; Instituto di Fisica Applicata "Nello Carrara," Florence; Laboratoire du Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France; Arc-Nucléart, France; Morana RTD, Slovenia; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Centre for Sustainable Heritage, University College London Solmates, the Netherlands
It is also included in our work on Disney animation cels, which, in addition to identifying and characterizing plastics, included in-depth studies into the degradation of cellulose acetate (CA) and cellulose nitrate (CN) cels and their optimal storage condition.
Due to the presence in museum collections of many unstable works of art made with these plastics and the urgency of preserving them, the analysis into the degradation of CA and CN has been extended to tridimensional objects within the Cellulose Esters research component. Analysis of plastics is also undertaken within the Repair Studies component in order to assess the suitability of the repair materials and methods investigated as well as their compatibility with the plastics.
Other projects building on this analytical work include Art in L.A., which investigated plastics and resins used by Finish Fetish artists featured in a Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945–1980 exhibition in 2011.