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Heritage
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Cleaning Strategies for Cultural Heritage
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Cleaning Strategies for Cultural Heritage

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2023) | Viewed by 12699

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Moira Bertasa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute of Optics (Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, CNR-INO), Largo Enrico Fermi, 6, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Interests: material science; conservation; cleaning methodology; gels; laser cleaning; Raman and FTIR spectroscopy; multi-spectral imaging; contemporary art

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to submit your work to this Special Issue of Heritage on “Cleaning Strategies for Cultural Heritage”. The cleaning of artworks is a critical and delicate procedure in the conservation practice. Ideal cleaning should be selective and effective avoiding possible harmful effects and cleaner remains which make in practice an ideal cleaning unattainable. The will to design and reach sustainable and innovative cleaning strategies is part of the motivation that drives this aspect of conservation science.

A breakthrough in the developments of innovative materials and tools has been observed in the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage, such as green solvents and gels, and technological advances on existing technologies (i.e. laser or plasma cleaning). Despite this scientific and technological progress, lots of topics still need to be analysed and addressed, especially in the field of contemporary art. Further, the assessment of the long-term cleaning outcomes are often underestimated and no monitoring protocols are expected after the conservation practice.

This Special Issue intends to address research devoted to the study of the cleaning procedures and the assessment and the monitoring of the outcomes. Original research articles and reviews are welcome and may include (but not limited to) the following topics:

  • cleaning of historical, modern and contemporary art
  • cleaning as a sustainable methodology
  • comparison of cleaning methodologies
  • evaluation and monitoring of the cleaning outcomes
  • feasibility tests for innovative cleaning methodologies
  • case studies

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Moira Bertasa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • heritage science
  • conservation
  • cleaning
  • multi-analytical approach
  • monitoring
  • chemistry
  • material science
  • sustainability
  • historical and modern materials
  • contemporary art

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 6419 KiB  
Article
Ultra-Short Pulse Laser Cleaning of Contaminated Pleistocene Bone: A Comprehensive Study on the Influence of Pulse Duration and Wavelength
by Md. Ashiqur Rahman, Germán F. de la Fuente, José Miguel Carretero, Mª Pilar Alonso Abad, Rodrigo Alonso Alcalde, Rémy Chapoulie, Nick Schiavon and Luis A. Angurel
Heritage 2023, 6(3), 2503-2519; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6030132 - 26 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
The impact of wavelength and pulse duration in laser cleaning of hard blackish contaminants crust from archaeologically significant Pleistocene bone is investigated in this research. The objective is to determine the practical cleaning procedures and identify adequate laser parameters for cleaning archaeological bone [...] Read more.
The impact of wavelength and pulse duration in laser cleaning of hard blackish contaminants crust from archaeologically significant Pleistocene bone is investigated in this research. The objective is to determine the practical cleaning procedures and identify adequate laser parameters for cleaning archaeological bone from Sima de los Huesos (Spain) based on conservation and restoration perspectives. Bone surface cleaning was performed utilizing two Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers: sub-nanosecond pulsed lasers with emission wavelengths at 355 nm and 1064 nm, respectively, and a Yb:KGW femtosecond pulsed laser with an emission wavelength in the third harmonic at 343 nm. In all experiments, the laser beam scanning mode was applied to measure cleaning efficiency in removing contaminants and degradation products while assessing the underlying substrate surface damage. Several properties, including wavelength-dependent absorption, pulse repetition rate, and thermal properties of the material, are analyzed when evaluating the ability of these lasers to boost the cleaning efficiency of the deteriorated bone surface. Bone surface morphology and composition were studied and compared before and after laser irradiation, using Optical Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (SEM-EDS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) characterization methods. The results indicate that 238-femtosecond UV laser irradiation with 2.37 TWcm−2 is significantly safer and more efficient toward surface contaminant desorption than sub-nanosecond laser irradiation. The results herein presented suggest that these types of fs lasers may be considered for realistic laser conservation of valuable historic and archaeological museum artifacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaning Strategies for Cultural Heritage)
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16 pages, 3457 KiB  
Article
Chemical and Laser Cleaning of Corrosion Encrustations on Historical Stained Glass: A Comparative Study
by Evan Maina Maingi, María P. Alonso, Luis A. Angurel, German F. de la Fuente, Stéphan Dubernet, Rémy Chapoulie, Oriane Mellouët and Elodie Vally
Heritage 2023, 6(2), 1942-1957; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6020104 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2691
Abstract
The aim of this research work was to conduct a comparative study on the effectiveness of the application of chemical cleaning versus laser cleaning in the removal of surface congruent dissolution products from a potash-lime–silica historical stained-glass sample. EDTA was selected as the [...] Read more.
The aim of this research work was to conduct a comparative study on the effectiveness of the application of chemical cleaning versus laser cleaning in the removal of surface congruent dissolution products from a potash-lime–silica historical stained-glass sample. EDTA was selected as the chemical cleaning agent. Laser cleaning was performed using a 238 fs pulse UV (343 nm) laser. The comparative cleaning studies were carried out on a stained-glass piece supplied by the Maison Lorin Glass Restoration Workshop from Chartres, France. Given the complex nature, irregular thickness and heterogeneity of the encrustations found on the glass, the two cleaning approaches were carefully performed step by step, while monitoring the process using an optical microscope. Raman spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the changes induced on the sample surface during the cleaning process. The results demonstrate that the two cleaning approaches were able to eliminate the outer surface dark layer associated with carbon compounds, as well as the external part of the white layer generated by the crystallization of salts, formed with the dissolved elements after a reaction with the air. A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each method is also presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaning Strategies for Cultural Heritage)
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15 pages, 5678 KiB  
Article
Investigation towards Laser Cleaning of Corrosion Products from Lead Objects
by Denis Prokuratov, Andrey Samokhvalov, Dmitry Pankin, Oleg Vereshchagin, Nikolai Kurganov, Anastasia Povolotckaia, Alexander Shimko, Alexandra Mikhailova, Roman Balmashnov, Anastasia Reveguk, Olga Smolyanskaya, Dmitry Redka and Vjaceslavs Bobrovs
Heritage 2023, 6(2), 1293-1307; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6020071 - 29 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2204
Abstract
In this work lasers with micro-, nano-, pico- and femtosecond pulse durations were used to clean atmospheric corrosion products from the fragments of a 19th-century lead outdoor sculpture. The state of the surface was studied by optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy [...] Read more.
In this work lasers with micro-, nano-, pico- and femtosecond pulse durations were used to clean atmospheric corrosion products from the fragments of a 19th-century lead outdoor sculpture. The state of the surface was studied by optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It was shown that for all lasers used there is no self-limiting cleaning effect, and the metal damage threshold is lower than the corrosion removal threshold. Using the XPS method, it has been demonstrated that the effect of turning a metallic lead surface blue after irradiation is associated with an interference effect in the PbO film. Raman spectroscopy indicated no phase changes in the corrosion layer after laser cleaning with 8 ns, 75 ps and 100 fs pulses, which makes these lasers useful for the layer-by-layer cleaning of archaeological objects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaning Strategies for Cultural Heritage)
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11 pages, 3393 KiB  
Article
Comparison of the Use of Traditional Solvents and Nanosecond 213 nm Nd:YAG Laser in Thinning Naturally Aged Varnish on a Contemporary Oil Easel Painting
by Marina Martínez-Weinbaum, Míriam Lozano-Carbó, Laura Maestro-Guijarro, Paula María Carmona-Quiroga, Mohamed Oujja and Marta Castillejo
Heritage 2023, 6(2), 957-967; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6020053 - 22 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1854
Abstract
The removal of aged varnish on artistic paintings is a delicate intervention and the use of UV laser for this purpose is of special relevance. In particular, the use of nanosecond-pulsed lasers operating at 213 nm has been noted to produce good results [...] Read more.
The removal of aged varnish on artistic paintings is a delicate intervention and the use of UV laser for this purpose is of special relevance. In particular, the use of nanosecond-pulsed lasers operating at 213 nm has been noted to produce good results in mock-up samples, but it has not been tested in real artworks. In this paper, we report on the application of this procedure for the first time on a contemporary oil easel painting with naturally aged varnish. The obtained results were compared with those achieved using traditional solvents, specifically a mixture of ligroin:acetone. Additionally, hot water was used to remove surface dirt. The performance of the different cleaning procedures was assessed with a range of techniques, including low-power microscopy, UV lamp illumination, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Of the tested treatments, the best performance is obtained by nanosecond laser irradiation at 213 nm using an adequate laser fluence (typically 0.14 J/cm2) that allows controlled and efficient removal of the outermost aged varnish layer without affecting the underlying non-aged varnish and paint layers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaning Strategies for Cultural Heritage)
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20 pages, 5915 KiB  
Article
What You Clean Is What You Get: A Novel Chemical Cleaning Technique and the Interpretation of Corrosion Products Found in Late Roman Copper Alloy Coins Retrieved from the Sea
by Maayan Cohen, Alexandra Inberg, Dana Ashkenazi and Deborah Cvikel
Heritage 2022, 5(4), 3628-3647; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5040189 - 21 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1898
Abstract
Thirteen Late Roman copper alloy coins with a dark concretion layer from the Early Islamic period Ma‘agan Mikhael B shipwreck were chosen to undergo an experimental chemical cleaning and polishing procedure for removing the concretion while limiting the damage to the surviving metal. [...] Read more.
Thirteen Late Roman copper alloy coins with a dark concretion layer from the Early Islamic period Ma‘agan Mikhael B shipwreck were chosen to undergo an experimental chemical cleaning and polishing procedure for removing the concretion while limiting the damage to the surviving metal. These coins, and two more without concretion discovered on the beach nearby, were then subjected to a series of non-destructive analyses–visual testing, XRF, multi-focal light microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy–to determine their state of preservation, identify their corrosion products, and acquire information regarding their core material. An additional coin was examined by destructive metallographic light microscopy and SEM-EDS analyses to gain further information concerning the concretion cover. Preservation varied: For some chemically cleaned coins, a shiny orange-coloured metallic surface was exposed, while others were poorly preserved. Moreover, evidence of the stamping process was also observed. The results show that the suggested chemical cleaning treatment could be useful for processing other copper alloy objects retrieved from underwater environments; we propose a 12-step methodology to this effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaning Strategies for Cultural Heritage)
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