Properties of Plastics: A Guide for Conservators

This authoritative book is a practical guide for the conservation community, providing information on plastics, polymers, and rubber/elastomers and their behaviors in the cultural heritage context. It includes graphs, diagrams, and illustrations to compare the mechanical, physical, thermal, and optical properties of these substances. It also features fifty-six illustrated fact sheets and six case studies of current conservation approaches to works of art and design made of plastics and rubber/elastomers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 360 pages
Publication date: 30 August 2022
Publisher: Getty Trust Publications

Almost every museum in the world is dealing with plastics in their collections. Research initiatives and knowledge concerning the conservation of heritage objects made of plastics have proliferated over the last twenty-five years, necessitating this up-to-date, comprehensive resource. Intended as a highly practical guide for the conservation community, this authoritative book offers information essential to understanding plastics, polymers, and rubber/elastomers and their behaviors in the cultural heritage context. Numerous graphs, diagrams, and illustrations allow readers to compare the mechanical, physical, thermal, and optical properties of these substances during conservation. Aimed at the hands-on museum practitioner, this book will assist professionals in choosing the appropriate materials for cleaning, adhering, and consolidating plastic objects, with the result that collections will benefit from a longer lifespan. Complementing the main chapters, fifty-six illustrated fact sheets summarize, at a glance, the properties of those plastics most commonly found in museum collections. Six informative case studies present real-world examples of current conservation approaches to works of art and design made of plastics and rubber/elastomers. Under the expert authorship of Thea B. van Oosten, conservation scientist, educator, and internationally regarded authority on the behavior and properties of plastics, this instructive volume is destined to become an invaluable resource for the field.

Weight: 954g
Dimension: 192 x 235 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781606066935