Ontwerp­wetenschappen

Workshop gel cleaning

Advanced workshop gel cleaning in conservation

23 and 24 April 2018
26 and 27 April 2018


University of Antwerp
With Lora Angelova (UK)

This workshop is fully booked, registrations are closed.

During this two-day workshop, participants will be presented with a range of cleaning gel types that might be used for specific cleaning problems.

About Lora Angelova

Lora is a Conservation Scientist in the Collection Care Department of The National Archives, United Kingdom, specialising in the material composition of objects and researching solutions for their conservation.

Prior to joining The National Archives, Lora was a Conservation Science Researcher at Tate, where she worked on the Nanorestart project. This research focused on the evaluation of nanotechnology-based cleaning systems designed to tackle the challenging treatments of modern and contemporary art.

In 2013 Lora received a PhD in chemistry from Georgetown University and the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, for her research on the design and application of polymer gel materials that could be used for the surface cleaning of heritage materials.

Following her move to the UK as a Newton International Fellow she completed a year of research at the Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis at the University of Cambridge, and a year at the Material Studies Laboratory, Department of History of Art, UCL.

Lora was on the organising committee and on the Gels in Conservation Conference.

Programme

Scope

During this two-day workshop, participants will be presented with a range of gel types that might be used for specific cleaning problems. Although we will discuss a wide variety of gelling agents in the theory sessions, in the practical sessions, we will be preparing only agar, gellan, PVOH-borax, and xanthan gels. We will also use surfactants, chelators, and enzymes incorporated into the gels. CSGI’s Nanorestore materials, as well as Carbopol, Velvesil, Pickering emulsifiers will be discussed in the theory session but will not be used in the practical session (Piero Baglioni and Richard Wolbers, respectively, teach detailed courses on the use of these gelling materials).

Day 1

09:00 - 12:30: Brief intro to gel use in conservation.

  • Gel theory – what is a gel?
  • What are the kinds of gels we can make? 
  • Theory of the types of gels used in conservation with details on how they form and how they are used. We will aim to cover:

(1) rigid gels – agar, gellan, Nanorestore;
(2) paste-like gels – methylcellulose, Carbopol, Velvesil, Pemulen;
(3) intermediate materials – PVOH/borax, PVA cryogels, surface attached gels.

(including coffee break)

12:30 - 13:30: Sandwich lunch

13:30 - 17:00: Practical

(including coffee break)

Day 2

09:00 - 12:30

(Possible continuation of specific gel types from day 1)

  • What can we load into the gels: aqueous solutions, organic solvents, enzymes, surfactants, microemulsions. 
  • Future prospects, pros and cons, health & safety.

(including coffee break)

12:30 - 13:30: Sandwich lunch

13:30 - 17:00: Practical

(including coffee break)

Practical information

23-24 April 2018, 9:00 - 17:00
26-27 April 2018, 9:00 - 17:00

Location: Blindestraat 9, 2000 Antwerp

Registration info and target group

Number of participants: maximum 15
Registration fee: 350 euro 

Deadline for application: 15 February 2018

The registration fee includes lunch and coffee breaks on both days.

Target group: Registration is open to conservators and restorers
Requirements: Basic notions of chemistry are recommended

Please note that the language of instruction is English.