Mattel’s Barbie: Investigation of a Symbol – Analysis of Polymeric Matrices and Degradation Phenomena for Sixteen Dolls from 1959 to 1976

Plastics entered the technological scene at the beginning of the 20th century. During the past decades, artists, designers, and architects have used those synthetic materials to create pieces that are now recognized as iconic items. Few toys have impacted fashion, style, and culture as intensely as Mattel's Barbie dolls, whose production process and constituent materials constantly changed since their first release in 1959, undergoing about 50000 structural and design modifications based on users’ needs and social values [1]. As old plastic artifacts, they can rapidly deteriorate, posing major problems for collectors and conservators [2]. Indeed, the presence of additives within the bulk – i.e., plasticizers, light and heat stabilizers, flame retardants – affect both the long-term stability and the objects' appearance leading to chemical-physical modification of the polymers [3]. The inherent incompatibility between the bulk and the plasticizers often leads to the migration of the additive on the object’s surface, whose concretions can leave stains, embed dust, or seriously corrode the surface or other materials they come into contact [4]. Furthermore, it is well known that UV light and the short wavelengths of visible light (VIS) can induce photochemical processes in organic polymers, which result in dramatic changes in the polymeric matrix. In this work, sixteen Barbies produced between 1959 and 1976 were chosen to study technological modifications owed to the evolution of the production process. The research also aimed at characterizing the degradation products that are macroscopically visible on the dolls’ surface, seeking to define a suitable conservation strategy able to prolong their lifetime.