2025/05/06 by Alba Álvarez-Martín, I. Díaz, R. B. King +6 · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Building materials and conservation #Conservation Techniques and Studies #Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s40494-025-01681-3
openalex publication_date 2025/05/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Assessing the suitability of display case construction materials is crucial to prevent museum object damage. This study evaluates three mass spectrometry (MS) approaches, HS-SPME-trap-enrichment-GC-MS, DTD-GC-MS, and DART-HRMS, for analysing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from exhibition and storage materials. Results were compared with the Oddy test, which assesses material corrosivity. HS-SPME-trap-enrichment improved sensitivity for detecting low-abundance corrosive volatiles, such as acetic acid, while DTD offered broader chemical profiling. Correlations between acetic acid emissions and lead corrosion in Oddy tests suggest GC-MS-based methods can predict material corrosivity. DART-HRMS effectively confirms specific additives, while GC-MS shows potential to serve as a screening tool for material classification. Though MS techniques provide faster analysis and detailed chemical insights than the Oddy test, they require a higher level of knowledge for data interpretation. With further refinement, MS approaches could complement to traditional corrosion testing, offering an efficient screening tool for evaluating materials used in conservation.