Plastics in Museum Collections – a study of their chemical and physical degradation using a System Dynamics approach

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Science and Engineering in Arts, Heritage and Archaeology (SEAHA) at University College London, University of Oxford and University of Brighton, (http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/), in collaboration with the Museum of London (https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london) and Lacerta Technology Ltd (http://www.lacerta-technology.com/) is seeking applications for a fully funded studentship on the topic “Plastics in Museum Collections – a study of their chemical and physical degradation using a System Dynamics approach”. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the SEAHA Centre for Doctoral Training, the four-year doctoral research project will be supervised jointly by the UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, UCL Chemistry, the Museum of London and Lacerta Technology Ltd.

This project will develop a new approach to studying material degradation, by viewing objects as complex systems that undergo multiple chemical and physical degradation processes. This work will be done in the framework of the ERC Starting Grant funded project “COMPLEX: The Degradation of Complex Modern Polymeric Objects in Heritage Collections: A System Dynamics Approach”. Plastic objects are found in increasing numbers in museum and archival collections, in works of modern art, archival materials and social history artefacts. However, they are among the most vulnerable objects in collections due partly to inherent instability in some historical formulations, and also due to a lack of knowledge of best conservation practice: while there have been substantial advances in the field in the last 25 years, there is still a need for new ways of identifying vulnerable artefacts or choosing optimal storage and display conditions.

The aim of this project is to explore a new way of understanding the degradation of plastics, using system dynamics. System dynamics explores inter-relationships between different processes within a complex system, aiming to understand and change the system’s behaviour. Plastic objects will be viewed in this way so that multiple chemical and physical degradation processes can be better understood. This is both a new approach to studying material degradation with potential for wider applications in fields such as medicine and an approach that can yield practical solutions for heritage professionals working with plastic objects in collections.

The SEAHA student for this project will work with other students and postdoctoral researchers as part of COMPLEX, including those with expertise in mathematical modelling and chemistry.

The project addresses the following research questions:

1. How have the chemical and physical processes governing degradation of plastic objects in collections been defined and studied within existing literature? How can these be combined as part of a system dynamics model?
2. What relevant processes are currently poorly defined? How can these be explored experimentally, understood and defined in more depth and incorporated into a system dynamics model?
3. What is the variation in the composition and condition of plastic objects in collections and how do the environments in which they are stored and displayed vary?
4. How do degradation processes vary between different objects or scenarios such as different storage temperatures or display lighting conditions? How can this variation be understood in more depth and incorporated into a system dynamics model?

Academic entry criteria: The candidate will ideally have a background in Chemistry, Material Science or a related field.

Training path: The student will be part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training SEAHA (Science and Engineering for Arts, Heritage and Archaeology). Students will register for the one year MRes SEAHA at UCL in year 1 and then continue to PhD studies for years 2-4 of the studentship. The student will be encouraged to spend time working at both the Museum of London and Lacerta Technology Ltd.

Supervisors:
Academic supervisors: Dr Katherine Curran and Prof Ivan Parkin, UCL
Heritage supervisors: Abigail Moore, Museum of London
Industrial supervisor: Dr John Duncan, Lacerta Technology Ltd

For full details of how to apply please visit: http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/P54-Plastics-in-museum-collections.pdf