Completed Projects
Weltbunt - Significance of the historical dye collection for the development of the textile and chemical industry and everyday culture, 2017-2020
At the center of the joint project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) were around 10,000 historical bottles with synthetic dyes owned by the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences. In addition to extensive research into these containers, their ingredients, dating and origin, it was also important to examine their use in the textile industry, their effect on fashion and ultimately the changes in society and working life. The project partners developed the exhibition from the results of the project
"Zeitkolorit - fashion and chemistry in a rush of colors (1850-1930)", which has been presented in the German Textile Museum since autumn 2019. See also
List of publications.
"Silver Thread Project", October 2014 - October 2017
The German Textile Museum Krefeld researched in cooperation with the Institute for Restoration and Conservation Science of the TH Köln, the Institute for Surface Technology of the Technical University of Braunschweig and the Fraunhofer Institute IST for Layer and Surface Technology the possibilities of cleaning textiles containing silver by means of atmospheric pressure plasma. The starting point of the research project funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation was a stole with silver embroidery from the German Textile Museum in Krefeld, which serves as a model for the development of the new cleaning method.
Material combinations of metal and textile are often found in textile restoration. In the course of aging, the silver corrodes, which is not only an aesthetic problem, but also a conservation problem. Conventional metal cleaning processes are difficult to carry out on objects made of a combination of materials and usually prove to be disadvantageous for the textile components.
As an alternative, the project partners evaluated the possibilities of cleaning historical textiles containing silver using atmospheric pressure plasma-Proceedings. First, test specimens were treated with the newly developed reactors and scientifically analyzed. The aim was to investigate the influence of the plasma treatment on the removal of the corrosion products and to identify possible chemical-physical changes in the fiber materials.
The aim of the research project was to set up a model strategy for the gentle and efficient cleaning of historical textile objects with silver components. It was also discussed how the selected objects from the German Textile Museum Krefeld can be restored and preserved in the future.