Plastic for Posterity: Museum Studies x Polymer Chemistry

Museum plastics reveal how polymers age and fail. Polymer chemist Dr. Yvonne Shashoua of the National Museum of Denmark explains how conservators care for plastic artifacts, including spacesuits, wartime objects, and dolls, while studying the chemical processes that cause them to crack, discolor, or release additives. She connects museum conservation with the wider environmental problem of plastic degradation. This unusual meeting of polymer chemistry, plastic conservation, and cultural heritage shows what carefully observed objects can teach us about the long life of plastic.Episode Guest: Dr. Yvonne ShashouaBrowse her publications on Research Gate .More information about the episode and the Plastic PodcastEpisode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media WebsiteFollow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmediaHosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.