This Final Report on Phase 1 of the IUAM DEAE Analysis Project (CCI Service Request No CPMR 693) describes in detail the work performed by the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) for the Indiana University Art Museum (IUAM) on Phase 1 of IUAM Contract Proposal No 44877, Account No 43-200-27, for the IUAM project entitled “Investigation into the Effects and Removal of DEAE on Painting Media”, conducted under Grant No MT-0424-5-NC-013 from US Department of the Interior, National Parks Service. The IUAM DEAE Project is under the direction of Margaret Contompasis, Painting Conservator, IUAM. R. Scott Williams, Conservation Scientist (Chemist), Conservation Processes and Materials Research Section is the principle investigator for CCI.
The research objectives of the IUAM DEAE Project, as listed in Attachment A of the Contract, are:
- To determine if DEAE can penetrate the surface of the coated and uncoated paintings.
- To determine if, following penetration, DEAE reacts physically or chemically with the painting surface, and how those changes will affect subsequent cleaning.
- To determine if DEAE can be safely removed from the varnish or paint surface using conventional solvent systems.
The purpose of the CCI work, as described in Attachment A of the Contract, is to provide specific scientific analytical services, namely:
- To determine if DEAE is present on the surface, in accretion layers, in varnish layers, or in paint layers of paintings in the IUAM collections that have been exposed to humidified air containing DEAE.
- To determine whether painting surfaces and layers have been changed by DEAE.
- To determine whether DEAE can be removed safely from varnish or paint surfaces using conventional solvent treatments.
The CCI work is being carried out in two phases, with Phase 1 to establish appropriate analytical procedures for determining the presence and effects of DEAE on paintings, and Phase 2 to analyze the effects of DEAE and conservation treatments on DEAE contaminated paintings.
Phase 1 included the following tasks, as listed in Attachment A of the Contract.
- Examination of paintings in the IUAM collection that are apparently affected by DEAE contamination, and taking samples for analysis.
- Analysis of samples of surfaces, accretions, varnish and paint from DEAE contaminated paintings to determine most suitable techniques for detecting the presence of DEAE on paintings and characterizing the physical structure of the DEAE contaminated paintings
- Preparation of a report which summarizes the findings of Phase 1 investigations,
and recommends the analytical procedures that should be used for subsequent investigations. CCI has submitted two previous Progress Reports (September and October, 1996) summarizing development work and results. This Final Report incorporates, and supersedes, these previous Progress Reports Submission of this Report fulfils the obligations of CCI for Phase 1 of the IUAM DEAE Analysis Contract.