Stabilizer

Description

An additive that keeps a compound or solution from changing. For example, an emulsifiers keeps particles in a suspension from settling; an antioxidant scavenges oxygen radicals prior to their reaction with the substrate; an ultraviolet stabilizer absorbs high energy ultraviolet rays before they can initiate degradation; and inhibitors interfere with the chemical reactions that cause corrosion. Some stabilizers that were used in oil paints are beeswax, aluminum stearate, zinc stearate, aluminum palmitate, and zinc palmitate.

Resources and Citations

• R.de la Rie, "Polymer Stabilizers. A Survey with Reference to Possible Applications in the Conservation Field" Studies in Conservation, 33:9-22,1988.

• Reed Kay, The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Theodore J. Reinhart, 'Glossary of Terms', Engineered Plastics, ASM International, 1988

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 66, 289

• Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979

• Pam Hatchfield, Pollutants in the Museum Environment, Archetype Press, London, 2002

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000