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Article

Sustainability of Maintaining Glass Collections

English Heritage, Ranger’s House, Chesterfield Walk, London SE10 8QX, UK
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Heritage 2025, 8(7), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8070251
Submission received: 30 April 2025 / Revised: 19 June 2025 / Accepted: 20 June 2025 / Published: 25 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Conservation of Glass in Heritage Science)

Abstract

Maintaining a tight RH range for unstable glass is energy- and carbon-intensive. The carbon footprint of several methods for controlling showcases and storerooms, including sorbents, dehumidifiers and sorbents, Miniclima, and RK2, has been measured. Dehumidifiers outperformed Miniclima and RK2 units in control capability, but all three exhibited a higher carbon footprint than passive control methods. However, tailoring the right conditions for the right objects is crucial. The decay of different glass compositions in atmospheric conditions was measured using surface ion swabbing. Conditions below 40% in addition to forced air movement universally slowed deterioration. Formic acid was found to significantly accelerate glass alteration but could be removed using the RK2 unit.
Keywords: sustainability; glass; analysis; formic acid sustainability; glass; analysis; formic acid

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MDPI and ACS Style

Thickett, D.; Mėlinis, A. Sustainability of Maintaining Glass Collections. Heritage 2025, 8, 251. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8070251

AMA Style

Thickett D, Mėlinis A. Sustainability of Maintaining Glass Collections. Heritage. 2025; 8(7):251. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8070251

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thickett, David, and Antanas Mėlinis. 2025. "Sustainability of Maintaining Glass Collections" Heritage 8, no. 7: 251. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8070251

APA Style

Thickett, D., & Mėlinis, A. (2025). Sustainability of Maintaining Glass Collections. Heritage, 8(7), 251. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8070251

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