Paper AS+MS-FrM9
Surface Characterization of Acrylic Artists’ Paints After Wet Cleaning with Water-in-Oil Microemulsions.

Friday, November 3, 2017, 11:00 am, Room 13

This paper reports on developments from collaboration between The Dow Chemical Company, Tate and the Getty Conservation Institute to improve cleaning systems for unvarnished modern painted surfaces. Increased use of new artistic paints since the 1950s has created a need for new cleaning approaches as traditional wet and dry cleaning systems have been found to be unsuitable in many cases.

This body of research has focused on the development of improved wet cleaning systems for artists’ acrylic emulsion paints. The present study describes novel microemulsion systems based on water and mineral spirits, each formulated with different anionic or non-ionic surfactants. For this application, water-in-oil microemulsions were designed to capture the positive aspects of water-based cleaning systems (good pick-up and dispersion of soils; control over the conductivity and pH) while limiting, to a degree, the risks associated with exposure to aqueous cleaners. These notable cleaning solutions have been found to be very effective at removing surface soiling on acrylic paintings and other water sensitive works of art. A range of spectroscopic techniques have been employed to characterize the paint surface for changes induced treatment with different cleaning solutions. TOF-SIMS and XPS results show that trace amounts of surfactant residues from cleaning formulations remain on paint surfaces in some cases. Amounts vary depending on the surfactant type, inherent surfactant solubility, in addition to the clearance steps undertaken.