Conservation concerns for acrylic emulsion paints

Acrylic emulsion (or more accurately dispersion) paints present major challenges to conservators, yet remarkably few studies of these materials have been published. Although frequently associated with paintings, these paints are also encountered on other supports, such as paper, textiles, objects and walls. The intent of this paper is to present much of the conservation information that does exist in a concise format to expedite much needed further discussion and research by conservators, paint manufacturers and artists. Brief descriptions of the development and analysis of acrylic emulsion paints are given, but the focus of this review is on conservation concerns, in particular issues surrounding the properties of paints, aging and cleaning.