Materials Research

Phase 1 of this project used electrochemical characterization methods to evaluate coatings’ corrosion protective performance under conditions that directly emulated exposure to polluted atmospheres.

Visual inspection of the Chapel indicated that lateral movements, meteoric and ground water, and soluble salts are the main causes of deterioration of the Chapel’s facade and walls.

NAPAP researchers exposed limestone and marble briquettes to weathering for months to years at several different sites. They sampled the briquettes and analyzed multiple layers for anion content.

This publication studies three monitoring systems and efforts to eliminate termites at San Cristobal and El Morro of the San Juan National Historical Site in Puerto Rico.

Baits containing an insect growth regulator, hexaflumuron, were used in the historic Presbytere and the Creole House of the Cabildo, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, to control infestations of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki.

Knowledge of material properties, reactivity and history can be crucial to conservation treatment success and safety.

Recovery specialists need to have a clear sense of the pros and cons of existing treatment options before they can respond effectively.

The conservation community has expressed general dissatisfaction and frustration in numerous forums over current protective coatings used in the preservation of outdoor bronzes.

The AIC polled its membership in May 1996 via a mail-survey to provide an updated and refined list of the most critical needs for research and training in the field of materials conservation.

In this study, Inspired Partnerships, a non-profit organization in Chicago, investigated the virtues and liabilities of various protective glazing installations over stained glass.

Materials Conservator Jason Church demonstrates how to properly reset stone grave marker.

This research addresses the continuing need for new coating strategies to protect outdoor bronzes from the effects of polluted environments.

It is extremely difficult to determine how much of the deterioration observed on stones is due to “acid rain” since its action is not limited to one mechanism. Rather, it results from the interaction of various mechanisms, many of which also occur in natural weathering.

Considerable interest, as well as concern, exists within the profession of art and artifacts Conservation regarding the potential improvements which may be brought about by the introduction of laser-based methods of cleaning.

Maintaining public records requires judicious management of resources. It compels records custodians to identify simple, practical, cost-effective approaches that can be incorporated into daily routines.

Sensitive building materials such as calcareous stone are subject to accelerated deterioration by several agents. These may be physical processes such as freeze-thaw cycles, chemical processes such as reaction with sulfur dioxide gas, or biological processes such as attack by microorganisms.

The web version of the Simple Book Repair Manual was created by members of Preservation Services, Dartmouth College Library.

Termites are a significant structural pest in the United States, costing the public nearly $1.5 billion in damage each year.

This report presents a review of the literature followed by recommendations based on best practices for the analysis of historic cement-based materials. The report is geared towards the practicing analyst.

Hallmarks on silver and gold objects can reveal much about their history.