Applicability of single-shot and double-shot Py-GC/MS for the detection of components in vinyl acetate-based emulsions used in modern-contemporary art

In this paper, the possibility of detecting polymers in plastic mixtures and extruded blends has been investigated. Pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS) allows researchers to identify multicomponent mixtures and low amounts of polymers without high spatial resolution, background noise and constituents mix interfering, as with molecular spectrometry techniques normally used for this purpose, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In total, 15 solid mixtures of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyamide (PA) and polycarbonate (PC) in various combinations have been qualitatively analyzed after choosing their characteristic pyrolysis products and each polymer has been detected in every mix; thus, in extruded blends of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), PP and PS had varying weight percentages of the individual constituents ranging from 10 up to 90. Moreover, quantitative analysis of these polymers has been achieved in every blend with a trend that can be considered linear with coefficients of determination higher than 0.9, even though the limits of quantification are lower with respect to the ones reported in the literature, probably due to the extrusion process.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of Plastics in Mixtures and Blends through Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Gnoffo,

Frache

2023

“…Several groups have focused on the analysis of poly(vinyl acetate) products and their properties, including pure resins and paints [18,58,61,84,85,91,123,[134][135][136]. Most of these studies included a multi-analytical approach to obtain comprehensive information on paint and resin formulations.…”

Section: Analytical Methods For the Characterisation Of Poly(vinyl Ac...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Poly(Vinyl Acetate) Paints: A Literature Review of Material Properties, Ageing Characteristics, and Conservation Challenges

Novak,

Ormsby

2023

Since their development in the 1950s, poly(vinyl acetate) [PVAc] paints (also known as vinyl) have been used by many artists, most notably in countries such as Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom; they are also used globally as a common binder for house paints. However, only a relatively limited number of heritage scientific studies have focused on vinyl paints. Consequently, many critical aspects of this material, such as the degradation processes, variations in paint formulations, and responses to conservation treatments, remain largely understudied. This article aims to summarise the available relevant information on poly(vinyl acetate) paints from both the scientific and the conservation practice perspectives. The article provides a brief overview of the development of poly(vinyl acetate) paints as artist-grade and household products and the known differences in their formulations. It also focuses on poly(vinyl acetate) ageing behaviour, the physicochemical properties, the recent scientific research on poly(vinyl acetate) material characterisation and degradation, and the main conservation issues regarding these paints, such as those relating to cleaning treatments.

“…Next to phthalic anhydride (#29), DEHP can be confirmed by peak #44 as the most abundant type of phthalate-based plasticizer in the sample analyzed (Figure 8, Table S2). While the most intense ion at 149 in the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) can be seen as general confirmation for phthalates, 167 and 279 can be considered confirmation ions of DEHP [27, 28,38]. Other phthalic compounds, such as diethyl phthalate (DEP) (#34), dihexyl phthalate (DHP) (#41), di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) (#49), and phthalic acid decyl hexyl ester (#50), could be found.…”

Section: Artwork's Bag and Bag's Exudatementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to detecting the fundamental peaks of PVC, Py-GC/MS analysis confirmed the DEHP evidence. As shown in Figure 12 and described in Table S4, typical pyrolysis products of DEHP were registered in the TIC and corresponded to 2-ethylhexane (#7), 3-ethyl-3-hexene (#8), 2-heptene, 3-methyl-(#9), 2-ethylhexanol (#15), phthalic anhydride (#20), 2-ethylhexyl benzoate (#21), and phthalic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester (DEHP) (#22) [27, 28,38]. The other additives found in the artwork's bag, such as TPP + CDP + DEP + DHP + DEHP + DnOP + phthalic acid decyl hexyl ester, were not part of the Dia-bags.…”

Section: Dia-bagmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the Understanding of the Aging Behavior of p-PVC in Close Contact with Minced Meat in the Artwork POEMETRIE by Dieter Roth

Gassmann,

Bohlmann,

Pintus

2023

Self Cite

This paper presents scientific investigations into the materiality and aging behavior of a copy of Dieter Roth’s multiple POEMETRIE (1968), mainly made of p-PVC components and minced meat, with the aim of informing conservation-restoration strategies. The main issues were represented by plasticizer migration, fat diffusion, and leakage, which led to the formation of a sticky surface layer. Replicas of p-PVC without minced meat were prepared and artificially thermally aged, while several techniques were used to investigate both the artwork and the replicas in terms of materials and degradation state. These include UV/Vis imaging, pH measurements, FTIR-ATR, and Py-GC/MS. In addition to showing that p-PVC-based materials composed of slightly different plasticizers were affected by similar degradation pathways (i.e., plasticizer migration, yellowing, etc.), this study reports that fat components were also shown to be unstable, resulting in migration/leakage in different directions, where their degradation amplified that of the p-PVC bags. This work represents a first study of plasticizer migration and fat diffusion in the art and conservation context. Also, an ammine-wax type of lubricant was identified in the most recent p-PVC formulations as the replicas selected for this study, thus providing an important source of information in different polymer-based research areas.