Assessing the Impact of LED Lighting on the Stability of Selected Yellow Paint Formulations

ABSTRACTLight emitting diodes (LEDs) are steadily finding application in an increasing number of museums and heritage institutions, providing energy-efficient solutions for collections display. Although there is a business case to be made for moving toward LED lighting, the safe display of objects must also be ensured. Identifying vulnerable pigments and paints ensures that future preservation strategies will be put in place, avoiding acerbation of damage and reducing the need for conservation. In the first part of our research we investigate color shift and molecular alterations in three yellow paints, namely, lead chromate sulfate, arsenic sulfide, and cadmium sulfide in linseed oil and gum arabic binders. Following an artificial aging regime, color shift was evaluated using colorimetry and molecular alterations were monitored using attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis. Up to 80 Mlux h the lead chromate samples in linseed oil displayed e...