Neutral cure silicones and hot melt adhesives

We are working with our interior decoration department on a revision
of the materials they use for the construction of display cases.

In response to our concerns, they are asking us for a recommendation
of a specific brand of a neutral-cure silicone sealant, as well as a
hot-melt glue they may use. Different products have been mentioned
in older Cons DistList postings and various publications, but they
generally refer to brands sold in Canada, the UK or elsewhere
outside Switzerland. It will be much easier to convince our interior
designers to adopt a new product if it is readily available on the
domestic market.

Before we launch a series of Oddy-tests with randomly picked
neutral-cure silicones and hot-melt glues, I'd like to benefit from
tests that may already have been performed elsewhere. Specifically,
I'd like to know:

    Is just any neutral-cure silicone likely to meet conservation
    requirements, and which products do you use in Switzerland or
    Western Europe?

    I understand that ethyl vinyl acetate is a major component in
    most hot melt glues. Are these acetates likely to pose a
    contamination risk in display cases with time (release of acetic
    acid), and are there any alternatives, for example
    polyethylene-based products?

Kilian Anheuser
Head of Conservation
Musees d'art et d'histoire
Rue Charles-Galland 2
Case postale 3432
1211 Geneve 3
Suisse
+41 22 418 2520
Fax: +41 22 418 2511


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:12
                 Distributed: Wednesday, June 20, 2007
                       Message Id: cdl-21-12-016
                                  ***