The Kevlar? 49 grid as a reinforcement system in the treatment of tears in the remedial conservation of easel paintings

In recent years, aramid fibre, commercially called Kevlar (R), has been used in the treatment of the textile support in easel paintings. This material, present in different formats, has a series of physical-chemical and morphological qualities that make it of interest for the local or general consolidation of canvases. In the following work, the Kevlar (R) 49 thread has been used to make different grids that serve as punctual reinforcement in the intervention of tears on the painted fabric supports. Through 24 models, different types of grids that have been subjected to accelerated ageing have been studied. Once the tests were finished, one of the tested models was rejected due to the stiffness of the applied reinforcement. However, the qualities of the rest of the tests have been highlighted, showing that this material and the proposed application methodology represent a good method of consolidating the textile support.