AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

Research was conducted in the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron to investigate the development of an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) adhesive for the lining of paintings.  The goal was to make a formulation closer to performance of the original material introduced in the 1970s. Studies found a temperature dependence between the crystalline and amorphous band of the ethylene component of the copolymer in the FTIR spectrum. It was also observed that this trend correlated with tack development. Thus, screening of candidates for replacement tackifier was made more efficient by gathering temperature dependent FTIR spectra of small samples of experimental formulations. The more successful candidates were further screened through mockups prepared by Paintings Conservators and tested in replicates allowing for statistics of bond strength to be included in the findings. The resulting formulation is a phthalate-free formulation utilizing a hydrogenated rosin ester tackifier. In addition to a revised formulation in the traditional solutions, research included calendaring of solvent-free films, experimental testing of aqueous dispersions, the processing of the optimized formulation into pellets and a non-woven cast onto release paper. The final phase of this project consisted of sharing these procedures with the commercial manufacturers of BEVA products to better meet the needs of the cultural heritage community.  

Conflict of Interest: This research has been fully funded by the Getty Foundation and the authors have no financial or material interest in CPC or CTS, the producers of BEVA products.