Abstract
This work aims at understanding the influence of the production processes and materials in the properties and long term behavior of acrylic sheet, i.e., poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), a material generally considered very stable in museum collections. A comparative study was conducted in samples from cast acrylic sheets produced in the early 2000s, from which manufacturing details were known, and samples provided by the artist Lourdes Castro from acrylic sheets she had bought in the 1960s. Transparent and red opaque cast acrylic samples, containing cadmium red pigment, were used. All samples were artificially aged in a solarbox with irradiation λ > 300 nm for a total period of 8000 h, and alterations were followed by a multi-analytical approach which included Raman, infrared (FTIR-ATR) and UV-Vis spectroscopies; gravimetry; size exclusion chromatography (SEC); thermogravimetry (TGA); micro-indentation; colorimetry; and optical microscopy. Not all cast PMMA sheets presented similar stabilities. We have concluded that the production processes (which may include the polymerization conditions, the organic additives and the origin of the monomer) play a more important role in the properties and long-term behavior of these acrylic sheets than the presence of cadmium red and/or the age of the material.
Highlights
Acrylic sheet, which consists of almost pure poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), was developed industrially in the 1930s as the first “organic glass” [1,2]
The properties of PMMA sheets were attractive to artists, who began to incorporate this material in their artistic production, acquiring it from international recognized industrial companies or from micro-size enterprises, especially from the 1960s onwards when plastics in general became more available and widely spread in society [5,6]
Following our previous research [11] our aim was to understand which intrinsic factors—e.g., the temperature and completeness of the polymerization process; the origin of the monomer; and the presence of additives, including an inorganic colorant—may have a significant influence on the properties and susceptibility of PMMA sheets to photooxidation
Summary
Acrylic sheet, which consists of almost pure poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), was developed industrially in the 1930s as the first “organic glass” [1,2]. There is still much to be known on how intrinsic factors, related with the materials and methods used by different producers, may impact on PMMA stability and lifetime. Following our previous research [11] our aim was to understand which intrinsic factors—e.g., the temperature and completeness of the polymerization process; the origin of the monomer; and the presence of additives, including an inorganic colorant (cadmium red)—may have a significant influence on the properties and susceptibility of PMMA sheets to photooxidation
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