Cellulose sorbents

I am posting this on behalf of Charlotte Redman who is not yet on
the DistList.

    I am a third year postgraduate student in the middle of
    researching my dissertation: Cellulose Sorbents used in the
    Conservation of Wall Paintings. An Evaluation of their
    Characteristics and Properties.

    The research involves assessing various forms of cellulose
    material including cellulose pulps, cellulose ethers and some
    papers and tissues in terms of their uses as sorbents in the
    conservation of wall paintings. They will be examined in terms
    of their characteristics including viscosity,
    translucency/opacity, density, pH and any health and safety
    concerns.  The working properties will also be examined and will
    form the major part of the research in terms of practical
    testing. These categories will include preparation and
    application, removal/clearance, control of evaporation,
    absorption and desorption of liquid  and conformance of the
    sorbent to the surface of the painting. Some of these tests will
    be performed on small fresco painted replicas of wall paintings.

    Most of the tests are relatively straightforward, however I am
    having some problems with some of the more difficult ones.

    Firstly, does anyone have any ideas of a method of measuring the
    conformance of a sorbent material to a surface, other than
    empirically?

    Secondly, I want to be able to trace the penetration and
    absorption levels of water into the wall painting and the
    sorbent by tagging the water. I will not be able to examine the
    levels of the liquid itself as it will obviously move around,
    therefore I need a tag or a dye (possibly fluorescent) that is
    compatible with water and will itself be left behind to be
    traced afterwards. The difficulty is that this added material
    must not alter the properties of water in any way.

    Thirdly, I need to be able to tag the cellulose material
    (preferably by staining) so that if any of the sorbent  is left
    behind in the pores of the wall painting structure, it will be
    detectable.

    Lastly, if anyone knows of any technical studies on this subject
    that might be useful, I would be most grateful. I look forward
    to hearing any comments or advice,

    Charlotte Redman
    Conservation of Wall Paintings Department
    Courtauld Institute of Art

Thomas Bilson
Leverhulme Research Fellow
Department of Conservation & Technology
Courtauld Institute of Art
Somerset House
Strand
London WC2R ORN
+44 171 873 2746
Fax: +44 171 873 2878

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:75
               Distributed: Wednesday, February 26, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-75-009
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