The characterisation of plastic used in a Gabo sculpture

The Nylon line used in a sculpture by the artist Naum Gabo has been investi gated. The sculpture at the Tate Gallery in London shows signs of degradati on and there is interest in determining the best replacement material in or der to extend the life of the sculpture. Thermal analysis was employed to i dentify the original polyamide used in the artwork. The tensile properties of the degraded Nylon from the sculpture were compared with those of unaged Nylon and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), identified as a potential repl acement material. PVDF was proposed as the preferred replacement for the sc ulpture. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.