Galician research on the application of laser technology in the cleaning of material cultural heritage: past and future strategies
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Abstract
The cleaning of cultural heritage elements is essential to ensure the durability and transmission of our cultural and artistic legacy. In Galicia, the importance of our stone-built heritage reflects the skill of our masters and artisans and is a symbol of our strength as a community. The difficulty involved in cleaning polymineralic stones such as granites, schists, etc. used on these artworks justifies the need to carry out detailed research on the effectiveness of different cleaning methods, considering both the degree of extraction of the undesirable substance (crust, graffiti, biological colonization, etc.) and the side effects that such cleaning may cause, such as mineral extraction, chromatic changes, etc. For this reason, a group of researchers from the University of Vigo and the University of A Coruña have been working together for 13 years to optimize the application of laser technology as a cleaning tool for these stones. This physical method allows cleaning to be achieved in a selective, gradual, and respectful way with the environment and the workers’ health. A sustainable cleaning method is therefore possible. In addition to the innovative use of lasers to clean heritage polymineralic stones, this Galician research group made progress in this area with the simultaneous application of wavelengths (infrared-1064 nm and ultraviolet-355 nm) and the sequential combination of laser with chemical and mechanical cleaning procedures. These strategies have made it possible to reach high levels of extraction and reduce side effects thanks to the reduction of applied fluence levels.
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