1.2. Chemistry of ageing

All materials age with time due to the different physical, chemical and/or biological processes, which lead to material degradation. As a result, the chemical composition of materials (especially if mainly composed of  organic substances) changes with time. In almost all cases ageing is undesired and is a big concern for the museum workers and conservators. 

The first video of this section gives an introduction to the  materials ageing processes. The second video discusses the environmental factors that influence ageing. The third and fourth video discuss two examples of material ageing: linseed oil and dammar resin.

Chemistry of ageing: I. INTRODUCTION