An amine-oxide surfactant-based microemulsion for the cleaning of works of art (original) (raw)
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Materials (Basel, Switzerland), 2018
The removal of hydrophobic materials from a porous support, such as wax stains on wall paintings, is particularly challenging. In this context, traditional methods display several drawbacks. The limitations of these methods can be overcome by amphiphile-based aqueous nanostructured fluids, such as micellar solutions and microemulsions. In this study, a microemulsion for the removal of wax spots from artistic surfaces was formulated. The nanostructured fluid includes a non-ionic surfactant, i.e., Triton X-100, and two apolar solvents, namely p-xylene and n-nonane. The solvents were selected on the basis of solubility tests of three waxes in several organic solvents. The nanostructured fluid was characterized by means of small-angle X-rays scattering (SAXS) and the information about micelle structure was used to understand the interaction between the microemulsion and the selected waxes. The microemulsion was then tested during the restoration of the frescoes in the Major Chapel of th...
Micellar solutions as environmentally-friendly agents for cleaning artworks
2013
The research presented in this communication is part of a major research project aimed at the application of nanoscience for the preservation and consolidation of the materials of cultural heritage objects, mainly the artifacts from limestone, sandstone, marl, etc. The project encompasses all the main fields important from the point of view of protection of cultural heritage, especially the cleaning the surface of historical materials, their consolidation and preventive protection. Our approach to the preparation of cleaning mixtures is based on the combination of two components, the “standard” micellar solution or microemulsion of nonionic surfactants with cosurfactants added, which is practically the same for various target substances and the specific solvents selected according to the respective substance to be removed. Based on this approach, a cleaning mixture was elaborated based on the joint action of micelles of non-ionic surfactants, 1pentanol and acetates, which is able to...
Nanomaterials
Cleaning represents an important and challenging operation in the conservation of cultural heritage, and at present, a key issue consists in the development of more sustainable, “green” materials and methods to perform it. In the present work, a novel xylene-in-water microemulsion based on nonionic surfactants with low toxicity was obtained, designed as low-impact cleaning agent for metallic historic objects. Phase diagram of the mixtures containing polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropilene triblock copolymer Pluronic P84 and D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) as surfactants, water, ethanol and xylene was studied, and a microemulsion with low surfactant content was selected as suitable cleaning nanosystem. Essential oils (EOs) from thyme and cinnamon leaf were added to the selected microemulsion in order to include other beneficial properties such as anticorrosive and antifungal protection. The microemulsions with or without EOs were characterized by size, size dist...