PVCare

Join the lecture: Modelling the lifetime of PVC in collections by Tjaša Rijavec

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 …

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Machine learning for historical PVC analysis

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 …

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PVCare – Preventive Conservation Strategies for Poly(vinyl chloride) Objects

Synthetic polymers dominate many contemporary art and design collections and are rapidly becoming a significant conservation concern. Surveys have shown that PVC can represent 13% of all plastic objects in such collections and that cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate and PVC represent 40% of all objects in poor state. With the new and exciting forms of …

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Poly(vinyl chloride) in art and design collections

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 …

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