Adhesives and Consolidants

Consolidation and adhesion are two of the most delicate decisions in any intervention: what you apply today must be stable, compatible with the original and, above all, reversible. In this collection, we bring together the adhesives and consolidants of reference in conservation-restoration, the same ones used in workshops, museums, and institutions.

Each family addresses a different problem—fixing a powdery layer, joining a fragment, re-lining a canvas, stabilizing a paint layer, or gluing paper—and making the right choice begins with understanding what each one does.

Types of Adhesives and Consolidants

Paraloid B-72 and Acrylic Resins

Paraloid B-72 is the reference acrylic consolidant: stable, reversible, and water-free. It is prepared in solvent at the concentration required for the intervention, from a 2-3% fixative to a 15-30% adhesive. The family also includes aqueous acrylic dispersions such as Primal AC-33, Plextol, or Lascaux Medium for Consolidation. If you want to delve deeper, we explain it thoroughly in our technical guide on Paraloid B-72.

BEVA Adhesives

The BEVA range (in film and gel) is a classic for re-lining and consolidating textile and pictorial supports, valued for its heat reactivation and tack control.

Animal Glues

Animal glues (rabbit, sturgeon, fish, and gelatins) are traditional adhesives in restoration: essential for gilding, preparing layers, and works where compatibility with historical techniques is sought.

Cellulosic Adhesives

Cellulose ethers—hydroxypropyl cellulose (Klucel), methylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and ethyl cellulose—are consolidants and adhesives in an aqueous medium, widely used on paper, porous supports, and fixations where water is acceptable.

Starches and Natural Adhesives for Paper

Wheat starch (Aytex-P, Jin Shofu) and funori / JunFunori are the reversible natural adhesives par excellence in paper conservation, graphic works, and consolidation of matte paint layers.

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) and Polyvinyl Acetates (PVAc)

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is water-soluble and used in aqueous adhesions and consolidations. Polyvinyl acetates (PVAc)—"white glues" and resins like Mowilith or Jade—cover gluing and mounting depending on the support and the required reversibility.

Epoxy Resins and Special Consolidants

For transparent structural bonds in glass and ceramics, we have conservation epoxy resins (like Hxtal NYL-1). And for specific cases, special consolidants such as Aquazol (soluble in water and polar solvents) or cyclododecane, a volatile temporary fixative that sublimates at room temperature.

How to choose

The choice depends on three factors: the support (textile, paper, wood, stone, ceramic), whether the intervention allows water or not, and the degree of reversibility you need. If you have a specific intervention in mind and are unsure which product fits, write to us at info@innovart.art and we will give you a specific recommendation.