The Effect of Changes in Environmental Conditions on the Mechanical Behaviour of Selected Paint Systems

The impact of relative humidity (RH) and temperature variation on the mechanical behaviour of paintings on canvas was investigated, based on the various environmental recommendations that are applied by museums and institutions worldwide. Paint samples were constructed based on the works of twentieth-century artists such as Soulages and Riopelle. The various samples are based on criteria such as paint media, additives, pigment type, canvas type, thickness, type of application, and drying time. Once they are fully dry, paint films behave as elastic, viscoelastic, or viscoplastic materials depending on the chemical nature of their components. These properties, as well as tensile strength, were determined by a series of tensile tests. Other samples were included, originating from discarded oil paintings on canvas from the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. To carry out mechanical tests under controlled conditions of temperature and RH, a climatic chamber was built around the column of a universal testing machine. Samples were submitted to stress relaxation tests to observe their response to changes in environmental conditions. RH was increased from 20 to 90% and temperature from 15 to 60°C. Reactivity diagrams were drawn based on the results. The endurance limit under mechanical fatigue was determined from the diagrams and helped define the risks associated with each painting type when exposed to the accepted environmental recommendations.