The conservation of a Hawaiian kapa: use of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) for the evaluation of cellulose degradation caused by oil and sodium chloride

Abstract

This study seeks to determine whether salt and oil interact on cellulose, leading to degradation. Samples were prepared using both Whatman® filter paper and contemporary barkcloth, immersing them in three solutions: salted water (NaCl solution), oil, and salted oil. Half of the samples underwent an accelerated ageing treatment. The degradation of cellulose after ageing was evaluated using size-exclusion chromatography analysis on solubilized samples. The molecular weight of the samples was used to evaluate the degree of degradation. The results showed that cellulose degradation increased with exposure to pure NaCl, oil, and salted oil, respectively. The results appeared to be more reproducible with the Whatman paper samples than with the barkcloth samples, probably because of material irregularities in the latter. This work demonstrates that the combination of oxidative oil and salt on a cellulosic object strongly weakens the cellulose with time.