Philippa Duffus

Research Project: An Investigation into the Suitability of Corrosion Intercept® Foam for Use in Museums

During my two years at the British Museum, I underwent training in a number of different analytical techniques, as well as being involved in environmental control and preventive conservation projects. The field of conservation science focuses on the analysis and preservation of cultural heritage. Analytical techniques such as X-ray fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy can aid scientists and curators to investigate the material nature of objects.

I had the opportunity to work on a number of different projects which involved a variety of materials, media, techniques and equipment. My final year research project focused on a new product, Intercept® foam, designed to control pollution in order to prevent corrosion of objects. The project focused on two distinct areas: the characterisation of Intercept® foam and the development and testing of a methodology to test pollutant scavengers. The characterisation of Intercept® foam suggested that it consists of a polyether urethane foam impregnated with metallic copper particles. A new experimental design was successfully developed and implemented. This could be used in the future to test the effects of a range of pollutants on a variety of substrates, and to monitor the efficacy of other scavenger products or control measures.

The initial results of testing Intercept® foam in a sulphurous environment suggest that it is suitable for use in museums as a pollutant scavenger. In the future, Intercept® foam may be used in museums and heritage institutions as a method of pollution control to protect vulnerable objects.