Questionnaire on Aquazol

    **** Moderator's comments: Please respond directly to the
    author.

In an article in the latest WAAC Newsletter, May 2003, I compared
the physical and adhesive properties of Aquazol, gelatin and
sturgeon's glue at ambient and elevated RH. I am completing a second
article on how conservators are using Aquazol in practice and I
would like to solicit your participation.

Below is a questionnaire. You can fill out the questionnaire and
e-mail it to me. However, I have found that the questionnaire is
most effective if after you have had a chance to look at it, we then
talk about it. You can e-mail or telephone me to arrange a time to
speak. During our talk, the questionnaire will act as a guide and
often very interesting and relevant discussions grow from the basic
questions. If you, instead, want to just e-mail a short (or
long)description of your experience with Aquazol, please do

I appreciate your insight and am grateful for your participation.

    Questionnaire on the Use of Aquazol as an Adhesive in Paintings
    Conservation Practice

    Prepared by Julie Arslanoglu
    Mellon Fellow, Paintings Conservation, Balboa Art Conservation
    Center, San Diego, California.

    Introduction

        The purpose of this questionnaire is to establish how
        Aquazol is used as an adhesive in paintings conservation
        applications by practicing conservators in preparation for a
        discussion by telephone. It would be most helpful if you
        could give complete formulations (for example 20% Aquazol
        200 in water: isopropanol 9:1) and examples of usage
        (flattening and consolidation of extremely thick, cupped oil
        paint with a hot spatula).

    The Different Molecular Weights

        1.  Of the three molecular weights available, which do you
            find the most useful? Why?

        2.  Do you find a noticeable difference in the bond strength
            of the three different molecular weights? If so, please
            rank them (weakest to strongest).

        3.  Can you give 2 examples of the conditions that would
            dictate the use of each of the molecular weights?

        4.  Have you ever used blends of the different molecular
            weights of Aquazol? If so, what was the formulation and
            what guided your decision to create the blend?

    Solubility

        5.  Do you use Aquazol more often in water or in an organic
            solvent?

        6.  If the paint is stable in organic solvents but not
            water, please give reasons for why you might choose
            Aquazol as an adhesive rather than BEVA or another
            solvent soluble adhesive.

        7.  When using Aquazol in water, could you give some reasons
            why you would choose Aquazol over other aqueous
            adhesives such as gelatine, sturgeon's glue and PVA?

        8.  When you take advantage of the thermoplastic properties
            of Aquazol, do you notice a difference in its solubility
            after the adhesive has been warmed with a hot spatula?

    Working Formulations

        9.  What percentage of Aquazol in water do you most commonly
            use? In solvents? (Please give examples of percentages
            and usage, for example 20% Aquazol 200 in water for
            consolidation of tented oil paint.)

        10. Have you experimented with higher and lower percentages
            of Aquazol in water? In organic solvents?

        11. Could you give 3 examples of when you might use high or
            low percentages of Aquazol solution?

        12. Have you ever experienced a treatment where Aquazol
            consolidation has failed? If so, please describe the
            conditions of failure.

        13. Have you observed any mould growth or bad odour
            development in your stored solutions? If you have,
            please describe. If you have not, what is the longest
            that you have stored a solution without a problem and
            what was the formulation?

    Working Properties

        14. Have your tried different application methods for
            Aquazol (for example by brush, through tissue, with an
            ultrasonic mister, etc.)? If you have used more than one
            method, could you list each one, give an example of the
            Aquazol formulation that you used and describe the
            consolidation problem that it was used for.

        15. What would you say is Aquazol's greatest shortcoming in
            terms of working properties (for example, difficulty in
            clearing, poor wetting, short shelf life in solution,
            etc.)?

        16. Have you ever applied Aquazol in one solvent (for
            example, water) and cleared with another solvent (for
            example, acetone)? If so, why did you choose to do so
            and were the results satisfactory?

    Physical Properties

        17. Do you find that Aquazol in solvents behaves differently
            than in water (for example, is it easier to clear, does
            it penetrate better, is the adhesion better)?

        18. How does Aquazol compare to other thermoplastic
            adhesives, for example sturgeon's glue and BEVA?

        19. Have you ever experienced any problems with high
            relatively humidity causing Aquazol adhesion failure?

        20. Have you ever experienced any difficulties with storing
            Aquazol (for example cold flow, discoloration or gelling
            due to high relative humidity)?

    Thank you for participating in the this questionnaire.

    Please keep a copy of your responses for yourself and send a
    copy to me at

        Julie Arslanoglu
        Balboa Art Conservation Center
        PO Box 3755
        San Diego CA 92163
        jarslanoglu [at] yahoo__com

    Please complete the information below so that I may contact you
    and discuss your responses. I have found that the discussion is
    very valuable and often raises even more interesting issues.

        Name:
        Specialty:
        E-mail address:
        Daytime telephone:

Julie Arslanoglu
jarslanoglu [at] yahoo__com
Mellon Fellow in Paintings Conservation
Balboa Art Conservation Center
San Diego, CA
858-518-1510 (cell)
619-235-9702 (work)


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:3
                   Distributed: Friday, June 20, 2003
                        Message Id: cdl-17-3-021
                                  ***