Badea, E.; Della Gatta, G.; Usacheva, T.; “Effects of temperature and relative
humidity on fibrillar collagen in parchment: a micro differential scanning
calorimetry (micro DSC) study”; Polymer Degradation and Stability 97(3) (2012)
346-353
doi: 10.1016/polymerdegradstab.2011.12.013 (restricted access)
Abstract:
Micro DSC measurements were used to investigate the
synergistic effects of temperature and relative humidity on deterioration of parchment.
Samples were obtained by exposing new parchments to various temperature and
relative humidity atmospheres for increasing times in controlled test chambers.
The impact of this accelerated ageing was assessed by measuring the
thermodynamic parameters associated with the thermal denaturation of fibrillar
collagen: variation of denaturation temperature, Tmax, indicated changes in
collagen thermal stability, increases of DSC peak half-width, ΔT1/2, revealed
greater thermal heterogeneity and structural disorder, whereas parallel
decrease of denaturation enthalpy, ΔH, and DSC peak maximum height, 
max, measured the loss of fibrillar structure. Deconvolution of DSC
denaturation peaks provided a valuable illustration of both the dynamics and
the pattern of the deterioration of fibrillar collagen. Impact of temperature
and relative humidity on parchment integrity and stability is discussed in
terms of their implications for conservation science.
max, measured the loss of fibrillar structure. Deconvolution of DSC
denaturation peaks provided a valuable illustration of both the dynamics and
the pattern of the deterioration of fibrillar collagen. Impact of temperature
and relative humidity on parchment integrity and stability is discussed in
terms of their implications for conservation science.