Multianalytical approach to characterize composition and degradation processes of synthetic high-fashion textiles from the Nanni Strada Design Studio archives

Synthetic textiles are constituents of heritage objects and garments often displayed in museum collections or preserved in archives, presenting unprecedented and specific conservation challenges. These issues need to be addressed assessing degradation processes, and developing targeted restoration and preventive conservation practices. The present work aims at characterizing the composition of high fashion garments and design textiles by Nanni Strada conserved in the archives of Nanni Strada Design Studio (Milan). To identify the chemical composition of the fibers used for the manufacturing, and to investigate the degradation processes affecting the objects, the materials were investigated by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Evolved Gas Analysis coupled to Mass Spectrometry (EGA-MS), and multi-shot Pyrolysis coupled to Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The results will contribute to a better knowledge of the chemical properties of the textiles produced in the 1970s, and to plan conservation and exhibition strategies.