AIC's 45th Annual Meeting

Dye bleed caused by wet cleaning is a common problem during conservation treatments. A protective hydrophobic barrier is sometimes created over such water-sensitive dyes using the wax-like material cyclododecane. However, little research has been done on how to create the most efficient cyclododecane barrier on textiles. Seven different application methods were devised and tested for effectiveness. Samples with water-sensitive dyes were treated with cyclododecane barriers and then soaked in water to find which of these application methods best protected against dye bleed. Gravimetric and visual analysis were used to track any changes in the applied cyclododecane. ATR-FTIR and DRIFTS infrared spectroscopy were performed to discover how well the cyclododecane had coated the samples' fibers. The resulting data revealed that the most effective method to be as follows: Cyclododecane is applied to one side of a textile while the textile is at room temperature. Cyclododecane is then applied to the opposite side immediately after the textile has been heated. This heating allows the cyclododecane to become well-embedded within the textile, coating and protecting the fibers. The efficacy of the paintbrush and kistka as application tools was also investigated during the experiment. It was discovered that the brush applied more cyclododecane overall, but the kistka resulted in a more effective hydrophobic barrier. The results were used to create instructions for applying cyclododecane to textiles, which conservators can use during treatments requiring a hydrophobic barrier to protect water-sensitive dyes.