Mechanical properties of mammalian and fish glues over range of temperature and humidity
Alexandra Bridarolli, Ashley Freeman, Naoki Fujisawa, Michał Łukomski
Abstract
In this work, the mechanical properties of seven animal glues commercially available for conservation practice are compared. The performance of these materials within ranges of temperature and relative humidity commonly found in uncontrolled environments was quantified on cast glue films using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile testing. The applied experimental protocol resulted in the identification of phase transitions between the glassy and rubbery states and the evaluation in those states of the stiffness, viscoelasticity, strength, and strain at break of each tested adhesive. The presented results allow for the prediction of environmental conditions at which specific glues may fail and may help to select the most appropriate adhesive, from a mechanical point of view, for particular applications.