Since prehistoric times our ancestors have been searching for methods to protect themselves from rain and humid environments. Crucial to our environmental adaptation and survival was to find cover and protection against enduring contact with wet and moist conditions. Consequently, the surge for transforming natural materials to water repellent and water impermeable materials was crucial for our survivability. Examples are leathers and fabrics such as linen, flax and hemp, and wool and silk which were impregnated and coated with complex lacquer mixtures, waxy coatings, oils, natural rubbers, and from the 19th century onwards, semi-synthetic substances like cellulose nitrate. By this technology, a wide range of products could be made water resistant, and the field of application was extremely diverse. This research aims to investigate the historical materials and techniques to better understand both production processes and degradation phenomena. The goal is to (1) identify and understand historical technology and evolutions through time by reconstructing a corpus of relevant recipes, (2) characterize the physical properties of the reconstructed recipes (e.g., wettability/permeability, elasticity), (3) identify ageing phenomena and their impact on the physical properties of the reconstructed materials. (4) The acquired results are then evaluated by benchmarking with heritage objects from the KMKG-MRAH, and finally, (5) to identify the optimal conservation conditions.
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