Journal of Paper Conservation

ISSN: 1868-0860 (Print) 2057-1682 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/yjpc20

What is Cellugel?

Paula Steere

To cite this article: Paula Steere (2017) What is Cellugel?, Journal of Paper Conservation, 18:2,
67-70, DOI: 10.1080/18680860.2017.1388638

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/18680860.2017.1388638

Published online: 09 Feb 2018.

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What is Cellugel?
Shedding Light on an Elusive Product
Paula Steere
Keywords: Cellugel, Concentration, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Klucel® G, Leather consolidation
Introduction
This report on the ingredients and origins of Cellugel
stems from a larger study conducted by the author on
the performance mechanisms and optimal application
of Klucel® G and Cellugel, two popular consolidants
used today in the conservation of acid degraded historic
leather. While the origin and technical data of Klucel®
G are readily available, Cellugel has been somewhat of
a mystery. This has prompted another more interesting
question to that of the title above: why are we using it?
Rarely do conservators employ ready-made products.
The profession takes great pride in sourcing high
quality ingredients and traceable materials. In the case
of leather consolidation, two factors are crucial to the
efficacy of Cellugel: the type of hydroxypropylcellulose
in the product and the weight-to-volume concentration
of hydroxypropylcellulose to solvent. Until recently
the conservation profession has known neither of
these. This investigation is an attempt to shed light on
this elusive product.
Unknown origins of Cellugel
It has been a common belief of conservators and sup-
pliers in the US and the UK that Cellugel is supplied
by Preservation Solutions, a US company.
Preservation Solutions, Chicago, did in fact supply
Cellugel to the UK, as evidenced in Figures 1 and 2
in which the company name and address can be seen
on the original label. However, Preservation
Solutions, Chicago, appears to no longer be in
business. The Chicago company has no internet pres-
ence and its name and address has been covered on
containers of Cellugel as shown in Figures 1–3. To
make matters more confusing, there is a company
with the same name, Preservation Solutions, in
Colorado selling leather and wood care products.
Some conservation suppliers have credited the
Colorado company as the source of Cellugel;
© IADA / International Association of Book and Paper Conservators 2017
DOI 10.1080/18680860.2017.1388638
In Practice
however, this company has confirmed that they do
not sell it. A company called D and M Packaging
Supplies in West Yorkshire, UK, also sells a product
called Cellugel Leather Consolidant on Amazon. It
is not known if this is the same product in different
packaging or a different material altogether. The
company has not responded to enquiries.
Four conservation product suppliers in the US and
UK were contacted during this research and asked
for the name of their Cellugel supplier, the type of
hydroxypropylcellulose in the product and the concen-
tration of hydroxypropylcellulose to solvent. One sup-
plier in the US did not respond. The remaining three
were eager to help but none were able to provide
answers to these questions. One respondent cited
University Products as a supplier. University
Products were contacted and they cited Preservation
Solutions (Chicago). One UK respondent said they
could not reveal the name of the supplier but were
happy to contact them on my behalf.
There also seems to be some confusion as to the dis-
tinction between ‘supplier’ and ‘manufacturer’. For
example, in a review of leather consolidants,
Mahony (2014: 20) credits Preservation Solutions
(Chicago) with its manufacture. It is unclear if this
was the case as the product continues to be sold
despite the disappearance of the company. One other
avenue existed in the search for the source of
Cellugel. There is a registered trademarked product
called Cellugel™, manufactured and marketed by
Alcon and used by the medical profession during eye
surgery. This product is a hydroxypropyl methylcellu-
lose, and Alcon has confirmed that the Cellugel used
in conservation is not their product.
The current manufacturer and supplier of Cellugel
used for leather consolidation continue to remain
unknown. However, after much persistence there has
been confirmation of the missing crucial data conser-
vators require to use the product effectively. The sup-
plier of Cellugel to Preservation Equipment Limited
in the UK has confirmed that the type of
Journal of Paper Conservation 2017 VOL. 18 NO. 2 67
P. Steere What is Cellugel? Shedding Light on an Elusive Product
FIGURE 1 Cellugel container with the name and address
of Preservation Solutions, Chicago visible underneath an
additional label
FIGURE 2 Detail of the Preservation Solutions Cellugel
hydroxypropylcellulose in their product is Klucel® G,
and the concentration of hydroxypropylcellulose to
isopropanol is 3% weight-to-volume.
Why should we care?
Improper application of Klucel® G or Cellugel,
whether too much or too little, could lead to a range
of undesirable outcomes, from negating the treatment
aim altogether (stabilizing friable leather) to exacer-
bating the loss of cohesion (making the condition
68 Journal of Paper Conservation 2017 VOL. 18 NO.
FIGURE 3 More recent container with label covering
name and address of Preservation Solutions, Chicago
worse). Vegetable tanned leather manufactured
between the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centu-
ries makes up the majority of leather held in collections
(Florian, 2006: 36) and its chemical degradation due to
acid hydrolysis and oxidation presents a considerable
preservation and conservation challenge. This friable,
powdery and flaking leather is due to the breakdown
of its main structural protein, collagen. Therefore, the
treatment aim when using Klucel® G or Cellugel as a
consolidant is to bind/adhere the leather pieces to
each other to mitigate loss of cohesion (Lee
McIlvaine, Mechanical Engineer, Florida, USA, per-
sonal communication, October 2016).
In order for the leather to effectively bind/adhere to
itself, consolidants must penetrate the leather and have
strong cohesive strength (Johnson, 2013: 127). The
penetration and cohesive strength of hydroxypropyl-
cellulose are dependent on two factors: the molecular
weight of the hydroxypropylcellulose polymer and the
weight-to-volume concentration of hydroxypropylcel-
lulose to solvent. Molecular weight is determined
during manufacturing. Weight-to-volume concen-
tration of hydroxypropylcellulose to isopropanol is
largely determined by the conservator, i.e. when
making a solution of Klucel® G in isopropanol or
choosing to dilute Cellugel or use it straight from the
container. And therein lies the key problem with
Cellugel: these details are not readily available and
using the product has been a stab in the dark. The
reasons for this are discussed below.
2

Various brands of hydroxypropylcellulose are on the
market today, manufactured in countries around the
globe and used in a wide range of industries, for
example food, personal care and pharmaceutical.
Klucel® is one brand of hydroxypropylcellulose and
at the time of writing is a trademarked product of
Hercules LLC, a subsidiary of the chemical conglom-
erate Ashland. Klucel® is produced in six viscosity
levels (H, M, G, J, L and E) and these are differen-
tiated by molecular weight, with H being the highest
weight and E the lowest (Ashland, 2012: 4).
Molecular weight correlates to the length of a
polymer chain: the longer the chain the higher the
molecular weight. Viscosity also increases with chain
length. Low molecular weight polymers which are
relatively short in length will have a lower viscosity
for a given concentration. Their increased fluidity
enables more penetration into the interstitial spaces
of a material. However, they will entangle less due to
their shorter length, resulting in lower cohesive
strength. High molecular weight polymers are larger,
more viscous, with an increased capacity to entangle;
hence they are stronger, although they will have less
penetration because of their bulk. Therefore, a
medium weight hydroxypropylcellulose, such as the
Klucel® G variety, is used for leather consolidation
with the intention of striking a balance between
strength and penetration. In the case of Cellugel, the
viscosity level of hydroxypropylcellulose and the con-
centration of polymer to solvent have been unknown
to most conservators. To confound matters further
the concentration of hydroxypropylcellulose will
increase over time as the product ages and the
solvent evaporates.
The performance mechanics of hydroxypropylcellu-
lose indicate that there is an optimal application
method in the treatment of degraded leather.
Michalski (cited in Horie, 2010: 107) states that conso-
lidation of friable materials is achieved by misting the
surface with thin layers of the consolidant polymer.
The viscosity of the solution should not be so low
that it soaks the substrate causing migration of the par-
ticles requiring consolidation and increasing instabil-
ity. A low viscosity solution also has weak adhesive
properties as previously discussed.
Conversely, too high a viscosity presents other diffi-
culties. A thick, high viscosity coat of consolidant con-
tains a high polymer to solvent ratio in which a higher
number of polymer chains are available to entangle
and wrap around the leather surface. As a solvent
evaporates, the drying polymer chains grip the sub-
strate and pull in all directions. In the treatment of
leather degradation, once the solvent evaporates the
surface of the consolidant polymer (e.g. Klucel® G)
will be in tension and the leather underneath will be in
compression (Lee McIlvaine, Mechanical Engineer,
P. Steere What is Cellugel? Shedding Light on an Elusive Product
Florida, USA, personal communication, November
2016). If too much consolidant is used, excessive
tension could cause distortion of the leather and possibly
affect appearance, such as cracking or delamination.
Using multiple thin layers and allowing each coat to
dry prior to subsequent applications would prevent an
excess of solution and strengthen the adhesion between
polymer and substrate (Horie, 2010: 107).
It is, therefore, suggested to use the viscosity of a spray
solution as a quantifying factor. Knight (2016) con-
cluded in his evaluation of applications of consolidation
of bookbinding leather that solutions of Klucel® G in
isopropanol higher than 1% are too viscous for a
spray method. In a summary of cellulose ethers, Baker
(2007: 7) refers to friable leather treatment with a
0.5% solution of Klucel® G for spraying and a 1% sol-
ution for brush application. These provide useful refer-
ences for quantified optimal concentrations for leather
consolidation regardless of application method (brush
or). Concentrations over 1% would seem too viscous
and potentially detrimental, hence ineffective for conso-
lidation of degraded leather. Applying three to five
layers with drying in between four coats is recommended
as a range that could satisfy performance requirements
while being realistic to studio practice. It is also
suggested that the degree of leather degradation will
determine the number of layers of consolidant applied.
Highly deteriorated leather will no doubt require more
applications. To prepare the powder form of Klucel®
G, first determine the final volume of consolidant
required. For example:
To make 200 ml of a 1% weight-to-volume solution,
use the following equation:
1% (.01) × 200 ml = amount of Klucel® G (g)
0.01 × 200 ml = 2 g Klucel® G in 200 ml isopropanol
To prepare 200 ml of a 0.5% solution:
0.5% (.005) × 200 ml = amount of Klucel® G (g)
0.005 × 200 ml = 1 g Klucel® G in 200 ml isopropanol
Where does this leave Cellugel?
Previously it would have been difficult to apply
Cellugel as a leather consolidant according to the
optimal application methods suggested above as the
concentration was unknown. Now that the profession
has a number with which to work (3% w/v Klucel® G
in isopropanol), conservators are able to dilute a new
container of Cellugel more purposefully. The product
as sold is three times the concentration required for a
1% solution and six times the concentration of a
Journal of Paper Conservation 2017 VOL. 18 NO. 2 69
P. Steere What is Cellugel? Shedding Light on an Elusive Product
0.5% solution. To prepare a 1% solution, determine
the final volume of consolidant required. However,
this time choose an amount divisible by three and
use the following equation to determine how much iso-
propanol to add:
Final volume (ml ÷ 3)
+ solvent (ml) to make up to the final volume
For example, to make 90 ml of a 1% concentration of
Cellugel:
90 ÷ 3 = 30 ml Cellugel + 60 ml isopropanol
= 90 ml @ 1% w/v Klucel® G to solvent
To prepare a 0.5% solution, choose a final volume that
is divisible by six. For example, to make 30 ml of a
0.5% concentration of Cellugel:
30 ÷ 6 = 5 ml Cellugel + 25 ml isopropanol
= 30 ml @ 0.5% w/v Klucel® G to solvent
Despite the equations above, the indeterminate evapor-
ation of isopropanol as Cellugel sits over time will con-
tinue to present a problem, making guesswork of
subsequent effective usage. In addition, Preservation
Equipment Limited states that the specifications given
for the product could be subject to change. Perhaps
one of the most curious aspects of Cellugel is why the
manufacturer and supplier of the product must
remain anonymous. Given that incorrect application
of a leather consolidant could waste time at best or
damage leather at worst, it is perhaps worth considering
whether to reach for the Cellugel pot when Klucel® G
can be freshly mixed as needed to the concentration
required. In a profession that prides itself on purity of
materials and scientific application, the widespread
use of Cellugel for leather consolidation could be incon-
sistent with best practice.
References
Ashland Specialty Ingredients. 2012. KlucelTM
Hydroxypropylcellulose: Physical and Chemical
Properties. Wilmington, MD: Ashland.
70 Journal of Paper Conservation 2017 VOL. 18 NO.
Baker, C. 2007. Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose
(SCMC) Re-evaluated for Paper, Book,
Parchment and Papyrus Conservation. The Book
and Paper Group Annual, 26:177–185. [accessed 8
June 2017]. Available at: <http://cool.
conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/
v26/bp26-32.pdf>
Florian, M.L. 2006. The Mechanisms of
Deterioration in Leather. In: M. Kite & R.
Thomson, eds. Conservation of Leather and
Related Materials. Oxford: Butterworth-
Heinemann, pp. 36–57.
Horie, C.V. 2010. Materials for Conservation: Organic
Consolidants, Adhesives and Coatings. Oxon:
Routledge.
Johnson, A. 2013. Evaluation of the Use of SC6000 in
Conjunction with Klucel® G as a Conservation
Treatment for Bookbinding Leather: Notes on a
Preliminary Study. Journal of the Institute of
Conservation, 36(2):125–144.
Knight, E., 2016. Assaying Klucel-G Recipes,
Application Methods in the Surface Consolidation
of Tanned Bookbinding Leathers [Poster].
Exhibited at the 44th Annual AIC Meeting, 15–16
May 2016 Montreal [accessed 9 July 2016].
Available at: <www.conservation-us.org/annual-
meeting/past-meetings/44th-annual-meeting-
montreal/2016-poster-session/docs/default-
source/annualmeeting/68-assaying-klucel-g-
recipes-application-methods-in-the-surface-
consolidation-of-tanned-bookbinding-leathers#.
V_kIUzWP-nc>
Mahony, C.C., 2014. Evaluation of Consolidants for the
Treatment of Red Rot on Vegetable Tanned Leather:
The Search for a Natural Material Alternative. Los
Angeles: University of California.
Author
Paula Steere
MA Conservation, Camberwell College of Arts,
University of the Arts London
45-65 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UF, UK,
Tel. +44 779-607-1943
2