Abstract
The cleaning of string musical instruments is challenging due to the traditional finishing treatments used by the makers. Multilayered coating systems were applied to Western musical instruments, while the Nakdong technique was applied in East Asia. Furthermore, by restorations and performance, dust and grime were overlapped together with polishes, adhesives, and varnishes. Gel cleaning is important in the field of conservation because of the ability to selectively remove chemical and biological degradation products from the surface, minimizing the interactions with the inner layers. In this study, hydrogels based on sodium alginate (SA) and konjac glucomannan (KG) polysaccharides were applied on laboratory mock-ups of East Asian and Western instruments to test their ability to remove synthetic soiling and sweat from the surface. In particular, SA cross-linked with calcium cations and KG cross-linked with borate gels were used. To control the exposure of the cleaning solvent on the surface of mock-ups, the moisture content of the gels was determined. The effectiveness of removing synthetic contaminants was investigated by noninvasive analytical methods. Stereomicroscopy and colorimetry, together with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in reflection mode and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), were used to evaluate the cleaning efficacy. Overall, polysaccharide hydrogels resulted in promising cleaning systems on both smooth and rough surfaces of wood.
Highlights
In the field of cultural heritage conservation, the cleaning of artworks has become an essential practice, including the removal of substances deriving from natural pollution as well as past nonoriginal treatments [1]
konjac glucomannan (KG) is capable of loading a greater amount of water solvent than sodium alginate (SA), which is an important advantage to be considered for cleaning systems
SA shows a lower value of retention capability than KG, implying that a smaller amount of water was released by SA when in contact with an absorptive surface
Summary
In the field of cultural heritage conservation, the cleaning of artworks has become an essential practice, including the removal of substances deriving from natural pollution (e.g., surface dirt, grime, and soil) as well as past nonoriginal treatments (e.g., polishing treatments, adhesives, and varnishes) [1]. Since Wolbers introduced solvent-based gels in the mid-1980s [3,4], new cleaning systems have been tested to remove dirt and degraded materials from metals, stones, and paintings and in the practice of paper deacidification [5,6,7,8]. In the specific field of musical instruments, less effort was devoted to deepening a systematic study on cleanings and their interaction with the materials of musical instruments The drawback associated with physical gels is that they may leave solid residues on the treated surfaces [9], and chemical gels rely on the reduction in the spreading of the solvent onto or into the artwork surface, which in turn reduces swelling and leaching issues [10].
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