Work

Optimizing Headspace Analysis to Assess the Suitability of Fused Deposition Modeling Materials Used in Cultural Heritage

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Volatile emissions from materials used in conservation have the potential to damage cultural assets when in contact with them or when accumulated in enclosed spaces. To evaluate material’s emissions and their potential interaction with museum collections, the Oddy test remains widely used by cultural institutions as an accelerated corrosion test. However, it presents several limitations related to its duration, the limited reactivity of its metal substrate and the degree of subjectivity involved in interpreting results.,In this study, trap-enrichment Solid-Phase Microextraction Gas-Chromatography Mass-Spectrometry (trap-enrichment SPME-GC-MS) was applied to analyze the volatile emission of nine Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) polylactic acid (PLA) materials previously tested with the Oddy test. The main aim was to gain a deeper understanding of the potential long-term volatiles emitted by FDM materials and their relationship with the corrosion products formed during the Oddy test, analyzed by Raman spectroscopy.,Prior to the analysis, the method was optimized and validated using three FDM materials. A sample mass of 1 g was found to be suitable for characterizing the emission profile while maintaining reproducible results. The operating temperature during the sampling played a significant role by increasing the number of released compounds while not exceeding 80 ºC.,Finally, volatile emissions were correlated with the Oddy test results. In addition, Raman spectroscopy measurements were taken on the corrosion products formed on the Oddy test coupons. Results show that headspace analysis provides a more detailed chemical insight than the Oddy test. The optimized headspace method presented in this study can be applied to other materials to obtain information about their composition and emission. However, volatile studies demand a higher level of expertise for proper data interpretation.

Source: Chemistry - Methods

DOI: 10.1002/cmtd.70136

Authors: María Higueras, Iván Díaz, Emilio Cano, Margarita San Andrés, Katrien Keune, Alba Alvarez‐Martin