Saturated salt solutions to control humidity

Oliver Tietze <oliver.tietze [at] gmx__net> writes

>A small church near Leipzig has got an altarpiece from 1520. It is
>in very bad condition due to the rapidly changing climate during the
>service. In order to prevent more damage a showcase has to be built.
>The RH in the church in winter is around 60% and the temperature
>around 2 deg. C, rising up to 15 deg. C over 12 hours, and slowly
>decreasing over 2 day after the service and up to 22 deg. C in
>Summer.
>
>Now I am looking for a buffer material for the showcase. A saturated
>solution of calcium nitrate could be it. ...

In 1964, while on the staff of the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY, I
wrote a short article describing a special exhibition case that was
made to the specifications of our consultant, Dr. Nathan Stolow, for
the display of a borrowed panel painting.  We used Magnesium Nitrate
Hexahydrate.  I have no copies of the article (The Brooklyn Museum,
Annual V, 1963-1964) but you can probably get a copy from the Art
Reference Library at the Brooklyn Museum.

I hope this information will be of some help.  Good luck with your
project,

Susanne P. Sack


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:15
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