Thermoplastic acrylic resin (ethyl methacrylate-methyl acrylate copolymer) widely adopted in conservation as a reversible, non-yellowing adhesive and consolidant.
Key Takeaways
Soluble in acetone, ethanol, toluene, and xylenes; solvent ratios are tuned to adjust working time, hardness, and flexibility of the set film.
Stronger and harder than polyvinyl acetate but more flexible than most conservation adhesives, tolerating more stress at joins without brittleness.
Requires no plasticizer additives (unlike cellulose nitrate); fumed colloidal silica can be added to improve workability and distribute stress during solvent evaporation.
Applications span ceramic and glass restoration, fossil preparation, piano hammer hardening, and museum object labeling.
Cast sheets of B-72 are now used as fill material in glass objects, a technique developed at the Corning Museum of Glass.
