Papers by Maria Elvira Callapez Callapez
Heritage Science
In the 1870s, dentures were one of the first products made with celluloid, the first semi-synthet... more In the 1870s, dentures were one of the first products made with celluloid, the first semi-synthetic plastic. Despite the significance of denture development in the history of celluloid and plastics, the chemical characterization of dentures in museum collections has never been attempted. It is urgent to assess the extent of celluloid heritage in denture collections due to the high degradation risk that this material imposes. In this work, 21 dentures from the National Museum of American History and from the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry were characterized using a multi-analytical methodology using handheld Raman, X-Ray fluorescence, and micro-Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopies. All dentures were successfully characterized: 12 are made of celluloid, 4 of vulcanized rubber, 2 of phenol–formaldehyde, 2 of polyvinyl chloride—polyvinyl acetate copolymer (PVC-PVAc) and 1 of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The identification of the dentures’ base materials allo...
42nd International Committee for the History of Technology (ICOHTEC) Symposium, Universidade de Tel Aviv, 16-20/8/2015: History of High-Technologies and Their Socio-Cultural Contexts, 2015
STUDII ȘI COMUNICĂRI/DIS, 2015
Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-asp-10.1177_0003702821998777 for Application of Infrared Reflecta... more Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-asp-10.1177_0003702821998777 for Application of Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy on Plastics in Cultural Heritage Collections: A Comparative Assessment of Two Portable Mid-Fourier Transform Infrared Reflection Devices by Eva Mariasole Angelin, Susana França de Sá, Inês Soares, Maria Elvira Callapez, Joana Lia Ferreira, Maria João Melo, Mauro Bacci and Marcello Picollo in Applied Spectroscopy
Science and Art, 2020
This chapter examines how two polyesters, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(vinyl acetate... more This chapter examines how two polyesters, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) are explored with great ingenuity and creativity by the artists Ângelo de Sousa, Juliao Sarmento and Lourdes Castro. Their fascination with these novel materials is revealed in interviews, which also show how these artists selected and transformed them into works of art. The case study approach using specific examples illustrates the relations between the molecular properties of PMMA and PVAc and factors related to social and artistic choices. The outstanding optical properties of PMMA and the possibility to transform sheets of PMMA into complex three-dimensional shapes were pivotal for its selection by Lourdes Castro and Ângelo de Sousa, respectively. This chapter also analyses the artists' technical choices and the impact these choices had on the conservation of their works. The way Ângelo de Sousa and Juliao Sarmento played aesthetically with vinyl emulsions will have a direct effect on the ageing of their paintings. Juliao Sarmento knows that the pristine white backgrounds of his “White series” paintings will yellow over time, while Ângelo de Sousa made every effort to protect his works in PVAc from ageing, adding layers of PVAc varnish on top of the painting and selecting the most durable colourants.
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2020
The identification of colorants in historic plastics is a methodological and analytical challenge... more The identification of colorants in historic plastics is a methodological and analytical challenge. Although deformulation is performed by the plastics industry, in the case of historical objects, sampling is often impossible, and in situ protocols are needed. The accurate identification of colorants provides insights into historical plastic formulations, supports planning of conservation studies, and critical data for objects that already exhibit color change (e.g. fading). Indeed, colorants may degrade following exposure to light, and color changes have been reported for plastic objects. The analysis of colorants remains a challenge, and microsampling is usually required. Successful identification of red pigments from thirty historical plastics is reported following a new in situ analytical protocol based on Raman microscopy. Information about other pigments, fillers and plastic polymers are reported. Fading has been observed in the historical plastic objects containing Pigment Red 53.
Technology and Culture, 2021
Boletim da Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, 2019
Boletim da Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, 2019
Cellulose nitrate (CN) is an intrinsically unstable material that puts at risk the preservation o... more Cellulose nitrate (CN) is an intrinsically unstable material that puts at risk the preservation of a great variety of objects in heritage collections, also posing threats to human health. For this reason, a detailed investigation of its degradation mechanisms is necessary to develop sustainable conservation strategies. To investigate novel probes of degradation, we implemented deep UV photoluminescence micro spectral-imaging, for the first time, to characterize a corpus of historical systems composed of cellulose nitrate. The analysis of cinematographic films and everyday objects dated from the 19th c. / early 20th c. (Perlov's collection), as well as of photo-aged CN and celluloid references allowed the identification of novel markers that correlate with different phases of CN degradation in artworks, providing insight into the role played by plasticizers, fillers, and other additives instability. By comparison with photoaged references of CN and celluloid (70% CN and 30% camph...
Revista De Historia Industrial, 2016
The volume outlines the results of a five-year research project about the history of a leading Eu... more The volume outlines the results of a five-year research project about the history of a leading European chemical company, Solvay, through 150 years of historical change. It presents an insightful, honest and first-hand analysis, drawn extensively from primary sources, of a worldwide company which remains a successful and well-managed business firm up to this day. It is a harmoniously arranged book where the parts tie into the whole and weave a compelling, gripping story of Solvay in the historical context of its times. The book is divided into three distinct and sequential parts of six, eight, and nine chapters, respectively.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe
Boletim da Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, 2020
A presente comunicacao tem como principal objetivo contribuir para a historia dos plasticos em Po... more A presente comunicacao tem como principal objetivo contribuir para a historia dos plasticos em Portugal, com foco na cidade de Leiria, berco da industria transformadora de plasticos. Nascida em meados dos anos 30 do seculo XX, revelou-se nao so como um dos principais sectores de desenvolvimento economico nacional, mas tambem um agente de mudanca social, cultural, artistica, urbana e ambiental. As cidades constituem locais de interesse onde surgem inovacoes em diversos sectores. Leiria, uma cidade de media dimensao, capital de distrito situada no litoral-centro de Portugal, entre Lisboa e Porto, transformou-se assim num entreposto comercial e industrial, que viu ao longo dos anos a sua importância aumentar com a criacao de vias de comunicacao e transportes, cada vez mais desenvolvidas. Para alem da criacao de um “parque industrial”, vai tambem criar zonas comerciais especificas e mais desenvolvidas, sendo finalmente visivel a mudanca na construcao de novas zonas habitacionais.Nesta i...
This work aims to investigate aspects of the history of plastics in Portugal and document how the... more This work aims to investigate aspects of the history of plastics in Portugal and document how these materials are related to social, economic, cultural, artistic, industrial, energetic and environmental trends, in order to better understand the contemporary material world, by establishing a national plastics museum collection.
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Papers by Maria Elvira Callapez Callapez