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An analytical approach for the non-invasive selection of consolidants in rubber artworks

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Abstract

The effectiveness of five polymeric materials for the long-term conservation and restoration of rubber artworks was evaluated by accelerated photo-oxidative degradation studies. Two different ethylene vinyl-acetate resins, generally used in industry and uncommon in conservation field, a new water-based polyurethane, and two ethylene butyl-acrylate resins were assessed for the consolidation of rubber. By monitoring their degradation along time with LED imaging coupled to statistics and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the polymeric materials with the best properties that ensure the protection and security of the artwork were identified. The degradation was performed in solar box simulating the light exposure in a museum, under controlled temperature at no more than 35 °C in order to exclude the thermal effects that could influence the ageing of polymers. The mechanical stress of the treated samples was also investigated. The spectroscopic analyses, the chromatic changes study, and the mechanical degradation were used as indicators of the consolidant stability, allowing the evaluation of the materials selected for the consolidation and conservation of rubber. The ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers resulted the most stable and suitable for the conservation of rubber artworks. Lastly, the conservation treatment identified in this research was employed for the restoration of the contemporary artwork “Presagi di Birnam” made with bicycle inner tubes by the artist Carol Rama.

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by TOTH Associazione per la ricerca scientifica ONLUS. The authors would like to thank the Museo del Novecento di Milano and SRA Instruments (Cernusco sul Naviglio (MI), Italy) for the analysis using the Agilent 4100 Exoscan FTIR portable spectrometer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale, viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121, Alessandria, Italy

    Marcello Manfredi, Elettra Barberis & Emilio Marengo

  2. ISALIT S.r.l., Via G. Bovio 6, 28100, Novara, Italy

    Marcello Manfredi & Elettra Barberis

  3. Centro Conservazione e Restauro La Venaria Reale, via XX Settembre 18, 10078, Venaria Reale, Italy

    Antonio Rava

  4. Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria, 7, 10125, Torino, Italy

    Tommaso Poli & Oscar Chiantore

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  1. Marcello Manfredi
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Correspondence to Marcello Manfredi.

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Manfredi, M., Barberis, E., Rava, A. et al. An analytical approach for the non-invasive selection of consolidants in rubber artworks. Anal Bioanal Chem 408, 5711–5722 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9673-y

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