LAUSR

ABSTRACT A large part of Mexican artistic heritage was created with artists’ acrylic emulsion paints, so it is crucial to investigate their composition, behavior, and decay. Acrylic films are complex chemical systems combining organic and inorganic compounds; therefore, the degradation studies require a variety of techniques. We characterize three acrylic films before and after ultraviolet aging. The relative composition of the polymer matrix was studied by nuclear magnetic resonance, pyrolysis—gas chromatography—mass spectrometry and direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry with direct analysis in real time. The inorganic compounds and surfaces were characterized by microscopic techniques, such as digital microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and micro X-ray diffraction. The combined use of these techniques proved to be effective for an in-depth study of the acrylic painting degradation process. The main results were the gradual degradation for the organic surfactant and the loss of inorganic aggregates (talc and carbonates), that led to the disruption of the paint film, which points out the importance of studying the role and interaction of all compounds.