by Mary-Lou Simac, Chief, Extension Services, and Jane Down, Senior Conservation Scientist, Conservation Processes and Materials Research Division
An adhesive is a substance that bridges and fills the gap between two materials, adheres to both surfaces, and achieves a sufficiently strong interface between the materials to hold them together as one. Adhesives play an important part in conservation treatments; they are used to reassemble and attach broken glass and ceramic objects, repair leather tears, re-line paintings, and back fragile flags, to name just a few examples. Conservators want to use adhesives that are not only sufficiently strong to do the job, but also stable and innocuous, so that they do not further damage the artifact.
For the past 20 years, research has been going on at CCI to study the properties of various adhesives in order to assist conservators in selecting the most suitable and stable product for their needs. Epoxy resin, poly(vinyl acetate), acrylic, and vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) copolymer adhesives have been studied in some detail, and changes have been monitored under natural dark and fluorescent light ageing.
CCI's workshop on adhesives is presented by senior conservation scientist Jane Down. It gives conservators the opportunity to learn about the Institute's research into adhesives, and to experiment with new adhesives and adhesive additives that the Institute is investigating.
During this "Adhesive Research Update" workshop, conservators work with actual samples to see what effect additives such as plasticizers, solvents, wetting agents, thickeners, fillers, humectants, and freeze-thaw stabilizers have on a VAE adhesive. A participant in a recent seminar co-sponsored with the Manitoba Heritage Conservation Service noted that it was "a very good, practical workshop which simplified a complex topic"; comments from other conservators included "the case histories for problem-solving and hands-on exercises were fun and stimulating for adult learning" and "will use the research to make decisions about which adhesives to use."
In 1999, CCI will be offering several advanced level workshops at the Institute in Ottawa for practising conservators and other conservation professionals. One of the workshops will focus on adhesives for textile and leather conservation. Please contact CCI for further details and registration information.
