Rochester Institute of Technology

The Image Permanence Institute at the Rochester Institute of Technology will research approaches that help support the physical stability of plastics and plastic composite materials in museum collections. Objects such as modern and contemporary artworks, design, fashion, and ethnographic items often include plastics, as do the storage materials used for photographs. The project team will use multiple types of analyses, including a case study, to assess the effect of microscopic changes in humidity on the physical structure of two types of plastics commonly found in museum collections. The project will establish safe preservation and handling conditions for these plastics, specifically temperature and relative humidity. They will share findings through journal articles, conference presentations, and a web publication.