Students are encouraged to do research projects in our lab for credit and/or work study as well as for summer employment.  Listed below are current and past research projects performed by students which are directly related to concerns in the conservation of cultural heritage.  There is a potential for projects to be supported by SURG (Small Undergraduate Research Grant) as well.

Conservation Treatments

Paper Bleaching in Oxygen Free Environment: comparing the bleaching of yellowed papers in an oxygen versus an oxygen free environment to determine the role of oxygen in bleaching.

B72 adhesion properties: creating thin films of B72, commonly used in repairing breaks/defects in old glass, with macrovoids using a solvent/non-solvent system to adjust the adhesion properties.

Analytical Testing

Analysis of yellowed material in acrylic medium:  separating and identifying the yellowing component in a water soluble extract of an acrylic medium using thin layer chromatography (TLC) coupled with FT-IR.

Computer controlled humidity chamber:  designing computer interfaced gas handling system to study humidity effects on archival and polymeric materials.

Oxidation indicator: developing a fluorescent dye indicator which signals oxidation in a degrading polymer through a color change.

Colored Pencils:  analyzing colored pencils with micro-fading tester to determine color stability.

Chemistry of Pigments and Dyes

Dayflower Blue:  exploring the chemistry of dayflower blue, a common pigment  used in Japanese Woodblock prints, to understand the color changes caused by alteration in pH and humidity.