Evaluation of the effects of cyclododecane on oil paintings

The solubility of oil paint components during the application of cyclododecane in solvent mixtures was evaluated in order to predict if the application of cyclododecane during restoration may significantly alter the chemical state of the paint layer in oil paintings. The chemical affinity between some of the oil binder components and non-polar cyclododecane could potentially lead to interactions or leaching during the application. In order to investigate these effects a set of samples taken from oil paintings from the early 1900s and 2008, were treated with cyclododecane in a solution, melted, and sprayed as aerosol. The samples were also submitted to a comparative extractive treatment with cyclododecane and organic solvents of different polarities. After the treatments, the extracted components were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which provided detailed molecular information on the composition of the extracts, together with a quantitative profile of fatty acids in extracted triglycerides, after saponification and derivatisation. The results show that applications of cyclododecane both as a spray and in a saturated solution in a hydrocarbon solvent determine the extraction of a low amount of lipids from the paint. On the other hand, when cyclododecane is applied in the melted form, there is an extraction of lipid components of the paint into the treatment solution.