Making a case for museums

​From a​ January 4, 2017 article by Ann Manser for UDaily:​

Extremely rare and high-profile objects on display in museums — an ancient Egyptian mummy, for example, or the Declaration of Independence — are exhibited in hermetically sealed cases that reduce oxygen levels and protect the items from damaging humidity. Such cases may be state-of-the-art, but they’re also expensive. And they’re almost certainly too costly for small and medium-size museums, which face similar preservation issues for their most valuable collections. In an effort to address that need, a Delaware company that has been developing new technology for display cases turned to University of Delaware students for help in testing and improving its design. A multidisciplinary design team, consisting of students majoring in environmental and chemical engineering and in art conservation, worked with Seaford-based Xergy on the project. The group presented its results at the Senior Engineering Design Celebration, held in December at UD’s Clayton Hall and showcasing about 40 projects completed by teams of students collaborating with industry partners. . . .

Five engineering students who formed a team to work on testing Xergy’s display-case technology were joined by Yan Ling Choi, a senior majoring in art conservation who also has a strong background in chemistry. She provided information about the needs museums have for preserving their collections and assisted in the testing process. “Preservation is so important,” Choi said. “Preventing damage from happening is what we focus on because once something is damaged, that can’t be reversed.”​

To read the full UDaily article, click here.