Porcelain

Marijke Top <topmarijke [at] gmail__com> writes

>For my master's thesis in ceramics conservation, at the University
>of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, I am researching the darkening of
>breaks that sometimes occurs while gluing (freshly broken!)
>porcelain, and remains afterwards.
>
>In my research I'm concentrating on Chinese porcelain, because I've
>seen it happen on some Qing enamelled objects. My hypothesis is that
>is has something to do with a mismatch of the porcelain glaze and
>the used epoxy resin.

Based on my experience with gluing marble with epoxy or other
resins, I have come to think the darkening is due to the change of
the index of refraction, which will occur when the epoxy resin
penetrates into the ceramic. I guess that it happens more to
ceramics with greater pores, which are easier to penetrate by the
resin, and it is also prone to happen to damaged areas with
microfissures.

Dipl. Restauratorin (FH) Sophie Haake-Harig
Antikensammlung
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz
Bodestr. 1-3
10178 Berlin
+49 30 2090 5228


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:51
                  Distributed: Thursday, May 12, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-51-007
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