A challenging treatment of an 18th century embroidered textile using gel cleaning in combination with decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) silicone solvent barriers

Anja Smets; Kristel De Vis; Natalie Ortega-Saez

doi:10.14568/cp2018023

Authors

Anja Smets Freelance textile conservator, Antwerp, Belgium
Kristel De Vis University of Antwerp, Faculty of Design Sciences, Conservation Studies, Blindestraat 9, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Natalie Ortega-Saez University of Antwerp, Faculty of Design Sciences, Conservation Studies, Blindestraat 9, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1715-6880

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14568/cp2018023

Keywords:

Textile conservation, Bleeding dyes, Gel cleaning, Agarose, D4 and D5 silicone solvents

Abstract

Bleeding dyes are a major concern to textile conservators; they can cause extensive damage to textile objects and usually preclude a wet cleaning treatment. Since gel cleaning methods were introduced to the conservation field, new opportunities are available for such complex treatments. This paper describes the cleaning of an embroidered textile that is damaged by dye bleeding of the embroidery threads on an undyed silk ground. It was examined whether further bleeding of the dyes during wet cleaning can be avoided by the use of an agarose gel to deliver an aqueous solution, prepared with pH buffers and chelators, to the silk ground. Additionally, the siloxanes octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) were tested for their potential to act as barrier liquids for the embroidered areas. The cleaning method was successful in preventing further bleeding of the dyes, but the coloured stains could not be removed completely by the compound cleaning solution. Further research is required to optimize the cleaning method.

Received: 2018-6-17
Revised: 2018-10-31
Accepted: 2018-11-6
Online: 2019-1-25
Publication: 2019-4-30

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Tímár-Balázsy, Á.; Eastop, D., Chemical Principles of Textile Conservation, Butterworth-Heineman, Oxford (1998) 158, 221-225, 43.

[2] Sahmel, K.; Mina, L.; Sutherland, K.; Shibayama. N., 'Removing dye bleed from a sampler: new methods for an old problem', American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC), Textile Speciality Group Postprints 22 (2012) 78-90.

[3] Cremonesi, P., 'Rigid gels and enzyme cleaning', in New Insights into the Cleaning of Paintings, ed. M. F. Mecklenburg, A. E. Charola & R. J. Koestler, Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, Washington (2013) 179-183.

[4] Warda, J.; Brückle, I.; Bezúr, A.; Kushel, D., 'Analysis of agarose, carbopol and laponite gel poultices in paper conservation', Journal of the American Institute for Conservation 46 (2007) 263-279, https://doi.org/10.1179/019713607806112260.

[5] Scott, C.L., 'The use of agar as a solvent gel in objects conservation', AIC Objects Speciality Group Postprints 19 (2012) 71-83.

[6] Schmitt, Emma A., 'An examination of the working properties of agarose gels for textile conservation', MPhil dissertation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow (2014).

[7] 'Uranine AP (C.I. 45350)', Merck http://www.merckmillipore.com/BE/fr/product/Uranine-AP-%28C.I.-45350%29,MDA_CHEM-108462 (accessed 2017-2-17).

[8] Stavroudis, C., 'More from CAPS3: surfactants, silicone-based solvents, and microemulsions', WAAC Newsletter 34(3) (2012) 24-27.

[9] Benner, J., 'Investigating the potential of decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) as an alternative solvent for textile conservation cleaning', MPhil dissertation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow (2012).

[10] Sullivan, M.; Brogdon-Grantham, S.; Taira, K., 'New approaches to cleaning works of art', Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (2014), http://resources.conservation-us.org/anagpic-student-papers/anagpic-2014-student-papers-posters/ (accessed 2019-1-21).

[11] 'Cyclomethicone 4', in PubChem Compound Database, National Center for Biotechnology Information, CID=11169, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11169 (accessed 2019-1-21).

[12] 'Cyclomethicone 5', in PubChem Compound Database, National Center for Biotechnology Information CID=10913, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/10913 (accessed 2019-1-21).

[13] Wolbers, R., personal communication (2017-5-2).

[14] Haezendonck, Y.; Bruggemans, K., 'Zuur-basereacties', in Essentiële Elementen Van Chemie - Een Overzicht Van de Fundamenten Van de Scheikunde, Academic and Scientific Publishers, Brussel (2013) 139-162.

[15] Stavroudis, C.; Doherty, T.; Wolbers, R., 'A new approach to cleaning I: using mixtures of concentrated stock solutions and a database to arrive at an optimal aqueous cleaning system', WAAC Newsletter 27(2) (2005) 17-28.

[16] Cremonesi, P., 'Materials & methods for surface cleaning and removal of film-forming materials', presentation on a workshop (Maastricht, SRAL, 15-19 February 2016).

[17] Stavroudis, C., 'Measuring surface pH and conductivity using water drop and agarose plug methods' (2013), Getty Conservation Institute, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOqZEE7Kb8Y (accessed 2019-1-21).

[18] Smets, A., 'Gel cleaning in textile conservation - The use of agarose and D5 for cleaning an embroidered textile with bleeding dyes' (2017), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9A8kw6MssE&t=32s (accessed 2019-1-21).

[19] Domingues, J.; Bonelli, N.; Giorgi, R.; Fratini, E.; Baglioni, P., 'Innovative method for the cleaning of water-sensitive artifacts: synthesis and application of highly retentive chemical hydrogels', International Journal of Conservation Science 4(S1) (2013) 715-722.

[20] Mastrangelo, R.; Montis, C.;Bonelli, N.; Tempesti, P.; Baglioni, P., 'Surface cleaning of artworks: structure and dynamics of nanostructured fluids confined in polymeric hydrogel networks', Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 19(35) (2017) 23762-23772, https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CP02662E.

[21] Hughes, A., 'Measurement of surface pH of paper using agarose gel plugs: a feasibility study', in Gels in the conservation of art, eds. L. V. Angelova, B. Ormsby, J. H. Townsend & R. Wolbers, Archetype Publications, London (2017) 62-66.