On Thurday 23 June 2022 at 4:30pm CET, we invite you to a lecture by Tjaša Rijavec a PhD student of Chemical Sciences at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. The lecture titled ”Modelling the lifetime of PVC in collections” is part of the MCI – Topics in Museum Conservation and …
Join the lecture: Modelling the lifetime of PVC in collections by Tjaša Rijavec Read More »
Researchers from the Heritage Science Lab Ljubljana have successfully applied machine learning algorithms to the development of computational models for identification and quantification of plasticizers in PVC objects. This pioneering study on real objects demonstrates that non-destructive analysis of plasticizers in historic collections of degraded PVC objects is possible. Plasticizers play a key role in …
1.1.2022 – 31.12.2024 Synthetic and semi-synthetic polymeric materials have shaped modern and contemporary art and design for over a century. Among these, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is particularly challenging due to its rapid degradation, which can compromise both aesthetic and structural integrity over decades. While previous research has predominantly focused on high-temperature degradation, PVC’s behaviour under …
PVCare – Preventive Conservation Strategies for Poly(vinyl chloride) Objects Read More »
As part of an excellent group effort in collaboration with the Museum of London and the UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, the doctoral student Tjaša Rijavec, presented her research on the Trump Baby Blimp at Futuretalks 21. The blimp is made of PVC, which is a modern material prone to degradation, which is the subject …
The Trump Baby Blimp: to Inflate or not to Inflate? Read More »
Tjaša Rijavec, Matija Strlič and Irena Kralj Cigić recently published the invited feature paper “Plastics in Heritage Collections: Poly(vinyl chloride) Degradation and Characterization” in Acta Chimica Slovenica. Museums and galleries house significant collections of objects and contemporary art made of plastic materials, many of which undergo rapid material change. Degradation results in visible discolouration, stickiness …
Poly(vinyl chloride) in art and design collections Read More »
