Synonyms and Related terms

Alternative, trivial, archaic, and trade names are listed as synonyms. Additionally related terms, mentioned in the description, but which do not have their own separate records are mentioned for searching purposes. Many common misspellings, particularly of brand name materials have also been added to minimize failed searches. For example, microballoon now appears as a synonym for both microsphere and Micro-Balloon®. Because of the hidden joint search feature, any name or spelling listed in either the material name field or the synonym field will be included in the search results list. If a name’s use is approved by a given organization, such as IUPAC, or a journal, such as JAIC, those indications are given in parenthesis following a synonym. Incorrectly spelled terms are designated with an (sp.) following the name.

Non-English terms: All equivalent terms, in any language, are being included for each material, as soon as the terms are located or submitted to CAMEO.

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Material Name

This is the prime field for the record in that all other fields serve to define and describe the Material name field. For a material, the key name entry is the most commonly used (or chemically correct) terminology. For example, isopropyl alcohol is a main entry while isopropanol and 2-propanol are synonyms. All entries are in English (American style). The Merck Index has served as a standard for names. The following types of materials and related terms are included in the encyclopedia.

• Materials used in the production, conservation or analysis of historic and processed materials Tyvek®, Dutch metal, eosin, portland cement, plywood, Art-Sorb®, acoustic tile, casein paint, Blue Wool card, etc.)
• Compositional groups (oil, alcohol, acrylic, aniline dye, polymer, etc.)
• Chemical and physical phenomena (tear resistance, relative humidity, absorption, irradiation, lightfastness, deterioration, etc.)
• Functional classes (abrasive, detergent, scavenger, sealant, absorbent, insecticide, consolidant, antioxidant, etc.)
• Analytical tools (hygrometer, Macbeth booth, x-ray diffraction, electrophoresis, radiocarbon dating, etc.)
• Material characterization terms (crizzling, hardness, gloss, porosity, refractive index, elongation, bloom, red rot, etc.)
• Selected devices (solander box, smoke detector, laser pointer, fluorescent lamp, diffusion tube, fly wire, etc.)

Trademarks: Care has been taken to use the correct spelling and punctuation with each of the trademark and brand name materials.
Directory: Entries for conservation related organizations are listed by their full names (in English). Native language names and acronyms are included in the synonym list.

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Description

This field provides a brief but comprehensive description of the material. The general format used for an entry is to first identify the general class of material (fiber, polymer, pesticide, etc.) then identify its primary use or biological source. For a natural product, its native geographical region is listed. Information is supplied about the materials production, manufacturer, historical availability, composition, and physical characteristics (appearance, physical state, melting point, volatility, odor, density, crystallinity, refractive index, solubility, strength, and hardness, etc.) The entry is followed with a listing of the industrial uses of the material, such as self-stick adhesives, fabric coatings, printing inks, etc. Additionally, specific examples of the material’s conservation uses are listed with accompanying citations in the ADDITIONAL INFORMATION field.

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Properties

Some important chemical and physical properties for the materials have been extracted from the text and entered in a tabular form for easier reference and comparison:

• Composition – the chemical formula is supplied for pure chemical compounds.
• Chemical Abstract Service Registry Number (CAS) – This universally used number is included for specific compound identification regardless of its name or synonyms. CAS numbers also aid in the retrieval of information from some computerized databases such as Hazardous Materials Database.
• Melting point, Boiling point, and Density – The Merck Index has served as the primary standard for these values with the Condensed Chemical Dictionary and MSDS sheets as the secondary sources. Where more than one value was found the entry is either given as a range or the alternate value is listed in the Authority Field with its citation. For solid materials, it has been assumed that specific gravity values are equivalent to density and have, in some cases, been entered as such. All densities have the units of g/cc (grams per cubic centimeter) for solids and g/L (grams per liter) for liquids unless otherwise stated.
• Additional information, such as Mohs hardness, refractive index, molecular weight, moisture regain, tenacity, and elongation is also entered when available.
• Solubility – separated into Soluble, Slightly soluble and Insoluble. Some materials have lists of chemicals that are unreactive or reactive.

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Authority

The Authority field lists citations of all references (books, journals, dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.) used for the generation of a material’s record. Each record in CAMEO is the result of checking a minimum of two references for clarification and verification of data; over half of the CAMEO records are the result of checking 3-20 sources (e.g., dictionaries, journals, encyclopedias, scientific handbooks, MSDS sheets, Web pages).
The authority field minimizes duplication of efforts when searching for information. It also provides a method to note discrepancies found among the various sources, particularly for numbers (e.g., development dates, physical parameters).

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Hazards and Safety

Information on safety factors is included such as flammability, flash point, explosion risk, carcinogenicity, and toxicity. However, this cannot be considered an authoritative source on all hazards, The MSDS sheet or the International Chemical Safety Card, should be read prior to the use of any product. Hyperlinks to these sources are often provided.

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Additional Information

Because of the condensed format for these descriptions, references, such as for review articles, book chapters, and books, are included to direct the reader to more specific information about a material and its applications. Some of the references, such as the manufacturer’s web pages, cited JAIC articles, and MSDS sheets have direct hyperlinks to other web sites on the Internet.

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Image

The image page contains thumbnail images that can be enlarged with a click. Images provide an essential record of a material’s characteristics and will include photographs and drawings of a material’s outward appearance as well as analytical image records of a material’s microscopic and spectroscopic characteristics. Examples:

• Photographic images or drawings: minerals, gemstones, corrosion products, insects, animals, tress, plants, as well as photos of museum objects constructed from these selected materials.
• Micrographs of minerals, metals, pigments, wood sections, and fibers as well as positive and negative microanalytical results for spot tests and fluorescent staining.
• Ultraviolet/visible and infrared spectra of oils, resins, gums, waxes, proteins, pigments, dyes and polymers.
• X-ray diffraction patterns for mineral pigments, and corrosion products.
• Chromatograms for oils, resin, gums, waxes, proteins and dyes.
• Comparative charts showing aging studies, stress curves and product comparisons.

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Units

A pull-up table has been incorporated to provide the full text for all abbreviations and units. It is readily accessible from any full record page in the database.

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