Resumen de Teaching Polymer Chemistry through Cultural Heritage
Jocelyn Alcantara Garcia, Rebecca Ploeger
Polymers are present in most organic materials in the field of cultural heritage science and art conservation. This makes the study of polymer chemistry necessary in art conservation graduate training programs. Given each program approaches this important topic in different ways, the present paper describes areas of common ground and problems we, as faculty in two of the programs in North America, have found, and how we have addressed them: from stressing the importance of polymer science as part of a holistic educational model to emerging art conservators, to addressing the characterization and degradation of polymers in cultural heritage. While they are seemingly different, both approaches successfully accomplish our overall goal: instill scientific curiosity and problem solving using the extremely ubiquitous class of materials we know as polymers. Consequently, our strategies and the practical exercises we are describing can be easily applied to other areas where polymers are present.
