Fill Materials & Methods for Scratch Repair on Poly(methylmethacrylate) Used in Face-Mounted Photos
Channel: AIC & FAIC
Date: 2016-08-19

By Kaslyne O’Connor,  Art Institute of Chicago
From the Plastics Associated with Photographic Materials symposium

Abstract: A primary conservation issue for the sustained use of face-mounted photographs is the inherent susceptibility of the acrylic sheet surface to abrasions. Scratches disfigure the entire surface of the poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sheet by changing the surface topography and distracting the viewer from the photograph. These disfigurements can be the result of improper handling, storage, or routine cleaning, and can range from micrometers to centimeters in size. The primary goal of this study was to gain an overview of the current care of face-mounted photographs and to further understand the necessary quality for scratch repairs on the acrylic surface. Experimental samples were abraded and repair was attempted through the use of scratch reduction techniques and fillers. The fill materials (Paraloid B-72, Dymax 4-20638, and Hxtal NYL-1) are products with refractive indices similar to PMMA, low viscosities, a resistance to yellowing, and favourable working times. Scratch reduction techniques attempted to decrease the amount of light refraction by the scratch ridges. All samples were subjected to accelerated thermal and light ageing, and analytical tests of the PMMA surface to detect any immediate or long-term negative effects on the acrylic caused by the application of these scratch fillers.

Speaker bio: Kaslyne received her MA in Conservation from Queen’s University and her BA from the University of Guelph. She has held internships at the Royal British Columbia Museum and at the Library and Archives of Canada Preservation Centre, and is currently the FAIC/Samuel H. Kress Conservation Fellow in the Department of Photography at the Art Institute of Chicago.