Rosta sönder eller torka ut Praktisk konservering och bevarande av komposita föremål av järn och trä - en enkätundersökning

Abstract

Rust or dry out? Objects made of iron and wood require different conservation conditions. Iron needs an RH, lower than 18% so as not to rust while wood wants as much as an RH of 50% so as not to dry out. Will a compromise on an RH of 30% be used at an exhibition, so that as much as possible of the object can be protected for the future even if the object will be destroyed over time? Techniques, chemicals and storage that are applied to one material can break down the other, causing problems with preservation. PEG impregnation, which is a good treatment for degraded wood, has a PH value of 4 and iron rusts at a PH of less than 9. One possibility is to add an inhibitor to the PEG solution, which increases the PH value, possibly overlay the iron part so that it does not come into contact with the PEG solution and then freeze-dry the object. By finally treating the iron with a rust protection, an RH that applies to wood can be applied. Another conceivable feature is choosing which material to keep. Can ICOM's professional ethics rules then be applied practically to these objects, for example in terms of ethics, minimum possible action and reversibility?