AHRC/EPSRC Studentship - Interventive Conservation of Black-dyed Organic Materials: The Problem of Metal-polyphenol Complexes

School of Materials

University of Manchester

This collaborative project between The University of Manchester and the British Museum will endeavour to develop novel chemical stabilisation treatments to address the problems presented by organic materials suffering from severe metal-catalysed degradation due to the presence of black metal-polyphenol dyes (where the metal is iron or mixtures of iron and copper or iron and other metals). Such materials are widespread in any museum containing ethnographic and/or textile collections, their preservation presents a major challenge and deterioration can lead to the total loss of affected areas. Interventive conservation treatments which could effectively halt the autocatalytic deterioration must arrest the metal ion redox cycle. This could be achieved through the chelation of the metal ions in a stable complex or through various antioxidant mechanisms which act as peroxide decomposers, radical scavengers or oxidative chain breakers. Additional potentially beneficial treatments include the deacidification and consolidation of the substrate material.
This research project will focus on the evaluation of a variety of non-aqueous chemical stabilisation treatments building on experience gained from related studies in the areas of heritage science and from the medical- , food- and textiles industries. If appropriate, as part of the project it is intended to apply and assess the newly developed method(s) on selected museum objects.