The long-term effect of selected conservation materials used in the treatment of museum artefacts on some properties of textiles

Abstract

In recent years conservators have begun to recognise that preventive conservation is as important as active conservation. Conservation treatments may play a role in accelerating the deterioration of museum artefacts in the long term. Accelerated tests were designed to find conservation materials, which would be safe for long-term use and would not cause degradation of museum artefacts. This study concerns the long-term effect of different conservation materials on the properties of linen textiles. Linen textile samples were treated with 5 different types of polymers, 4 different types of fungicides and 4 different types of deacidifying agents to evaluate the long-term effect of these materials on the physical and chemical properties of linen textiles. Three different types of accelerated ageing methods, heat, light and soil were used in this evaluation. The change of the physical and chemical properties of the untreated and treated linen textiles after ageing was assessed by different methods. The results showed that both treated and untreated linen textiles became progressively darker and showed progressive losses in tensile strength after ageing by different methods. X-ray results show that the ageing of the linen samples slightly decreased crystallite size in the longitudinal dimensions, also decreasing the total crystallinity compared to unaged samples. Results obtained by IR show changes in chemical properties of treated and untreated linen textiles after ageing by different methods. The results of this study will assist a conservator who seeks information about changes in the properties of linen textiles which may occur in the long term when they are treated with common conservation treatments.