Badania nad wykorzystaniem eterów glikolu propylenowego jako rozpuszczalników w roztworach impregnatów stosowanych do wzmacniania polichromowanego drewna zabytkowego

The article describes research on the possibilities of application of nontoxic propylene glycol ethers as resins’ solvents used for strengthening impregnation treatment. The possibilities of their application were checked on example of 1-methoxypropan-2-ol and 1-(2-methoxy-1-methylethoxy)propan-2-ol in comparison with toluol, solvent commonly used for that purpose. Research undertook aspects important from the conservators’ point of view, such as viscosity of prepared solutions, solvents’ swelling properties, speed of evaporation from impregnated wood, homogeneity of consolidant distribution and the way of affecting paint layers. In conclusion, the solutions containing the tested propylene glycol ethers have high viscosity, high rate of wood swelling, long voltality and long retention time, cause extraction of coloured constituents from wood and because of it they considerably affect the colour of polychromy. Structural changes in priming and paint layers such as swelling, blistering and increase of porosity were also observed as well as significant and long-lasting decrease of their softening point