Polyacrylates for conservation: chemico-physical properties and durability of different commercial products

With the aim of identifying the most suitable commercial water dispersed polyacrylates to be used in the conservation and restoration field, the properties of four commercial polymers were compared with those shown by Primal AC33, a product made and commercialized by Rohm and Haas, widely used as a consolidating and adhesive agent for art works, and nowadays out of production. Chemical, molecular, thermal, mechanical and optical investigation techniques were applied on films obtained from the polymer water dispersions cast at room temperature. Selected polymers were characterized before and after artificial aging under a xenon-arc lamp in order to determine their photooxidative stability. It was found that Acrilem IC15, among the selected products, was the material with improved physico-chemical properties and photooxidative stability with respect to that shown by the discontinued Primal AC33.