Solvent-gels workshop - MORNING LECTURES ONLY

Join us for two morning lectures from the upcoming solvent-gel workshop taught by Book and Paper Conservator Françoise Richard - focused on the the use of gels combined with aqueous solutions and organic solvents for book and paper conservation. During knowledge-based sessions, you'll learn about the chemistry and properties of different gels in order to optimize their use in practice.

Your ticket includes a place at both of these lectures.

Thursday 20 November, 9am - 12.30pm

Lecture Topic: Hydrogels

Poulticing and gelling materials combined with water-based solutions are widely used in paper conservation, and many different gelling materials have become available to conservators. How do gels work? What are their application limits? How to select the right gel to use for a specific treatment?

This session will define and classify gelling materials, with an emphasis on self-made hydrogels for local water-based treatments. Treatment application examples will focus on application methods and on the use of enzyme loaded gels for the removal of adhesive stains from paper.

Friday 21 November, 9am - 12.30pm

Lecture Topic: Solvent gels

The session will focus on the two following topics:

1. Organic solvents and hydrogels for the removal of pressure-sensitive tape in paper conservation: How to introduce organic solvents in hydrogels? How to select which solvent to use? The first part of the session will discuss how to optimize three main factors: efficiency, toxicity and sustainability.
2. Mitigating potential side-effects of the application of hydrogels or solvent-gels on paper: The application of a water or solvent-based local treatment poses the risk of uneven appearance of treated surfaces, particularly by the formation of brown lines at the wet-dry interface. Cyclomethicone D5 will be presented as a treatment aid to help mitigating these risks.

About the teacher:

After graduating with a MA in conservation from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Françoise Richard worked for private and institutional Book and Paper conservation studios in the US, Europe and the UK. In 2017, she moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands, where she joined the Rijksmuseum conservation team, before starting her own private practice. In 2021, she joined the department of Conservation and Restoration at the University of Amsterdam with a part-time lectureship while continuing to provide conservation services to Dutch cultural institutions.

These lectures are part of a three day conference - full details on our Solvent-gels workshop webpage.

Also check out other Workshops in London.