Ageing phenomena of oak wood-animal glue bonded assemblies for preservation of cultural heritage

Abstract

The structural preservation of panel paintings and decorated furniture as significant parts of Dutch cultural heritage, requires comprehensive knowledge on the long term behaviour of their constituent materials namely wood and animal glues. A decorated cabinet crafted by Jan van Mekeren (1684-1744) is chosen as the case study. The environment-induced ageing of wooden artefacts is often due to failure of the glue joints between the wooden parts. This behaviour is largely not understood.Structural Integrity & CompositesAdhesion InstituteBio-based Structures & Material