Abstract
Constructing methods for cleaning stains on paper artworks that meet the requirements of preservation of cultural relics are still challenging. In response to this problem, a novel electrochemical cleaning method and the preparation of corresponding electrodes were proposed. For this purpose, the conductive graphene (rGO)/polyacryamide (PAM)/montmorillonite (MMT) composite hydrogel as cathode and PbO2-based material as anode were prepared and characterized. The electrochemical cleaning efficiencies of real sample and mimicking paper artifacts were evaluated, and the effects of the electrochemical cleaning on paper itself were detected. Based on the above experiments, the following results were obtained. The composite hydrogel with attractive mechanical properties is mainly based on the hydrogen bond interactions between PAM chains and MMT. The results of cleaning efficiency revealed that the black mildew stains together with the yellowish foxing stains were almost completely eliminated within 6 min at 8 mA/cm2, and various stains formed by tideline, foxing, organic dyes and drinks could be thoroughly removed at 4 mA/cm2 within 5 min. In addition, the proposed cleaning method has advantages in local selectivity, easy control of cleaning course, and reusability, which represents a potential utility of this approach.
Highlights
Paper-based artifacts are one kind of popular and important historical cultural relics
The chemical cross-linking created by BIS supports the stable hydrogel, and the physical cross-linking mainly based on the hydrogen bond interactions between polyacrylamide (PAM) chains and nanosheets of MMT and graphene oxide (GO) improves the mechanical strength of the hydrogel[17]
The GO in graphene oxide/polyacrylamide/montmorillonite composite hydrogel (GPM) was reduced by L-ascorbic acid (VC) to form a black reduced graphene oxide/polyacrylamide/montmorillonite conductive composite hydrogel pen (rGPM) with enhanced electroconductivity[18]
Summary
Paper-based artifacts are one kind of popular and important historical cultural relics. The cleaning of paper achieved by means of solvents (organic or water) presents several problems, such as the extensive diffusion of dissolved substances into deeper and broader areas of the artifact, the dramatic decay of the mechanical properties of paper due to swelling[5], and adverse health effects probably caused by organic solvents To confront these issues, thickeners such as cellulose ethers and polyacrylic acids were used to enhance the control of solvents over the cleaning process. We design a new scheme for efficiently removing stains including tideline, foxing, organic dyes and fungi from paper artworks by incorporating electrochemical reactions into the hydrogel-based cleaning process. This work provides an alternative method for efficiently cleaning paper artworks
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