Materials for Conservation (Butterworth-Heinemann Series in Conservation and Museology) [Paperback]

C V Horie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 1987 | ISBN-10: 0750608811 | ISBN-13: 978-0750608817

The definitive introduction to the properties of materials used in conservation. It explains clearly the potentials and pitfalls of any proposed technique, providing a convenient summary of necessary information.


The continual struggle of conservators to ameliorate the deterioration of objects has led to increasing use of synthetic polymers. These materials are part of the sophisticated technology that has been developed to augment and often replace traditional materials and methods. Conservators therefore have a wider range of techniques available. However, they must be able to appreciate the potentials and pitfalls of any proposed technique. This book provides, in a convenient form, a summary of necessary information. The first section explains physical and chemical properties which are important in the conservation process, i.e. application, ageing, reversal. The topics covered include molecular weight, glass transition temperature, solubility and solvents, polymerisation and degradation reactions. The second section provides detailed consideration of the individual materials, current and obsolete, used in conservation, drawing out the factors relevant to their effects on objects. The conservation uses of each material are summarised and referenced to allow further study. In five appendices, the properties of the polymers, solvents and their interactions are tabulated, with a list of suppliers and conversion table of physical units. IUPAC and SI nomenclature is used throughout the book.


* Comprehensive coverage of material types used in conservation
* Summarizes key information for each material
* Includes both properties and effects of materials

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The continual struggle of conservators to ameliorate the deterioration of objects has led to increasing use of synthetic polymers. These materials are part of the sophisticated technology that has been developed to augment and often replace traditional materials and methods. Conservators therefore have a wider range of techniques available. However, they must be able to appreciate the potentials and pitfalls of any proposed technique. This book provides, in a convenient form, a summary of necessary information. The first section explains physical and chemical properties that are important in the conservation process, i.e. application, ageing, reversal. The topics covered include molecular weight, glass transition temperature, solubility and solvents, polymerisation and degradation reactions. The second section provides detailed consideration of the individual materials, current and obsolete, used in conservation, drawing out the factors relevant to their effects on objects. The conservation uses of each material are summarized and referenced to allow further study. In five appendices, the properties of the polymers, solvents and their interactions are tabulated, with a list of suppliers and conversion table of physical units. IUPAC and SI nomenclature is used throughout the book.

About the Author

Velson Horie is a strategic planner with an international reputation in project management, research, and teaching. After a degree in chemistry, he trained in archaeological conservation at the Institute of Archaeology (London) where interest started in polymers and their use in conservation. As an archaeological conservator in the north-east of England, he pioneered the use of environmental control and the integration of conservation ideas into wider museum concerns. For 28 years he was Keeper of Conservation at The Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, then was the Research Project Manager at the British Library coordinating an international and interdisciplinary study on the natural ageing of books. He has carried out conservation, research, and professional coordination primarily with organic materials, such as polymers, preserved animal skin, movie film, and degraded wood. He project managed and delivered a wide range of projects, from collaborative research to professional accreditation to a £21m capital development. All required, and benefited from, multi-disciplinary teams, focussed on quality improvements with clear public benefits. Teaching experience includes university lectures, a distance learning course on Chemistry for Conservators and professional updating courses on polymers, most recently involved with the design and delivery of a course Adhesives for Conservation for the American Institute for Conservation. He acts as a consultant to museums and other institutions on their development and Curatorial Advisor to the New Mills Heritage Centre. He has upwards of 80 publications and editorships, including Materials for Conservation and papers on film degradation and preservation. He is a Fellow of the International Institute for Conservation, and the Museums Association, an Accredited Conservator-Restorer, and a professional Member of the Association for Project Management. He was on the board of the Institute of Conservation and its predecessor. He is currently Treasurer of the International Institute for Conservation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann (November 22, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750608811
• ISBN-13: 978-0750608817
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,764,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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