Consolidating panel painting

Re: Consolidating insect damaged wood

In Spring 1999 we did some tests using hydrogenated hydrocarbon
resins to consolidate insect-damaged wood. At that time most local
conservators had been using an acrylic resin (Paraloid B72), but we
were not satisfied with some of the properties and effects of this
substance. We decided to test hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins
because of the following properties of this substance:

    *   good, fast solubility in pure aliphatic (nonpolar) solvents
        resulting in a low probability of solvent-damage to the
        object

    *   low molecular weight of the substance resulting in good flow
        properties

    *   fully-saturated molecular structure and therefore no
        tendency of eventual crosslinking within the resin

    *   results of our tests showed that hydrogenated hydrocarbon
        resins are preferable over an acrylic resin such as Paraloid
        B72 because of the following qualities:

        *   even distribution within the damaged areas of the
            substrate
        *   strength of the sample after treatment
        *   option of solubility of the resin after treatment

Two producers of hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins are:

    Arakawa Chemical Industries
    1-3-7 Hiranomachi, Chuo-ku
    Osaka 541
    Japan
    +81 6-209-85 80
    Product Group: Arcon

    Hercules BV
    P.O. Box 5822
    2280 HV Rijswijk
    Netherlands
    +31 70-315-00 00
    Product Group: Regalrez (USA) or Regalite (Europe)

For further, more detailed information about the actual testing
procedures and results, contact:

Ralph Stoian
Conservator of Wooden Objects
Historical Museum Basel
Steinenberg 4
4051 Basel
Switzerland



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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:55
                    Distributed: Friday, May 5, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-55-001
                                  ***