Survey on embedding materials for cross-sections

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As a part of the course in material technology, I'm working on a
summary of embedding-materials for cross-sections (actual products;
survey of the characteristics; history)

To get a general idea about national differences and products,
including the wide ranking knowledge and experiences of different
conservation labs, I would like to ask You for your assistance in
answering the following questions.

    1.  Are you able to take samples for thin- and cross-section
        preparation, to investigate the layer structure and
        material/technique of artwork?

    2.  If yes, what kind of embedding-material do you use (epoxy,
        polyester, acrylate)? Please list the name of the product
        and the manufacturer (if possible with address).

    3.  Are you making distinctions in the choice of the
        embedding-material, in the matter what kind of material you
        want to embed (paint-layer, wood, mural, metal, textile,
        lacquer etc.)?

    4.  Could you recognize any visible changes of the embedding
        resin during microscopic investigation (polarizing
        microscope or scanning electron microscope. How far did this
        reduce or limit the possible results in optical and chemical
        matter?

    5.  Do you know when the preparation of cross-sections species
        began being practiced in the investigation of artwork in
        your institution?

    6.  If you are have further ideas or thinking on any
        present problematic or question, that might be interesting
        to include in this survey, please let me know.

Tina Weidner
Technical University Munich
Institut for Restoration, Arttechnology
and Conservationscience
Oettingenstrasse 15
80538 Munich
Germany
Fax: +49-89-21124 554


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:3
                  Distributed: Thursday, June 27, 2002
                        Message Id: cdl-16-3-009
                                  ***