Wax objects

Johanna Lang <johanna.lang [at] gmx__de> writes

>Within the project "Wax Collages: Precious Craftsmanship in Danger
>of Extinction" at the Deutsches Hygiene Museum Dresden a test series
>on different adhesives for wax objects is being carried. ...

I suggest experiments with various mixtures of
Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) ("Aquazol, general chemical formula:
(C5H9NO)x ) in the three available molecular weights: Aquazol 500
molecular weight: 500,000, Aquazol 200 molecular weight: 200,000,
and Aquazol 50 molecular weight: 50,000. These are freely soluble in
water and are easily manipulated by heat in the solid, dry state
(Glass Temperature: 69 deg. C - 71 deg. C). Small amounts of other
organic solvents can be added to the aqueous solutions to increase
adhesion to non-polar surfaces.

The material is available from:

    Talas, New York
    <URL:http://talasonline.com/>

    Museum Services Corp, Minnesota
    <URL:http://www.museumservicescorporation.com/scat/b.html>

I am sorry but I am unaware of EU suppliers of these products.

The materials are manufactured by Polymer Chemistry Innovations,
Inc. <URL:http://www.polychemistry.com/products_aquazol.php> and
have been explored in the conservation literature:

Cameo, MFA Boston:

    <URL:http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/
    record.asp?key=2170&subkey=682&Search=Search&
    MaterialName=Aquazol>

        **** Moderator's comments: The above URL has been wrapped
        for email. There should be no newline.

    Buzzegoli, Ezio; Landi, Luisa; and Minotti, Debora.
    The phenomenon of diffusion of materials used for painting
    consolidation in a porous support.
    The care of painted surfaces: materials and methods for
    consolidation, and scientific methods to evaluate their
    effectiveness: proceedings of the conference, Milan, 10-11
    November 2006: third international congress on Color and
    Conservation, Materials and Methods of Restoration of Movable
    Polychrome Works. CESMAR7

    Lapkin, Rachel; Lindsey, Ann; Meredith, Virginia; Rastonis,
    Vasare; Russick, Susan; and Simon, Giselle.
    Waxing scientific: exploring new options for wax seal
    consolidation.
    The Book and Paper Group annual 21 (2002), pp. 95-98 [English].

    Arslanoglu, Julie.
    Aquazol as used in conservation practice.
    Newsletter (Western Association for Art Conservation) 26, no. 1
    (2004 Jan), pp. 10-15 [English].

    Ventikou, M.
    A Chinese figure in unfired clay: technical investigation and
    conservation treatment.
    V and A conservation journal  no. 38 (2001 summer), pp. 10-12
    [English].

    R. Wolbers, M. McGinn, D. Durbeck,
    "Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline):A New Conservation Consolidant"
    Painted Wood, History and Conservation postprints from symposium
    in Williamsburg, VA, published by Getty Conservation Institute,
    Los Angeles, CA, 1994, pp. 514-528.

Dale Kronkright
Head of Conservation
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
217 Johnson Street
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, USA
505-946-1041
Fax: 505-946-1093


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:18
                 Distributed: Friday, November 20, 2009
                       Message Id: cdl-23-18-001
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