Preliminary investigation on the use of the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser to clean corrosion products on museum embroidered textiles with metallic yarns

Abstract

The classic methods of cleaning oldfashioned textile museum objects with metallic threads often do not yield the expected results. The use of laser in the conservation of these objects plays an important role as very efficient and ecologically friendly technique. Conservation and restoration of historical exhibits with metal-textile combinations is becoming ever more complex due to a huge variety of damaging factors. The paper presents the results of the corrosion laser cleaning effects on ethnographic textile with metallic threads from the holdings of the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade, using Nd:YAG laser. Testing of the cleaning effects was performed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Chemical analysis of metal threads is made by EDX and XRD analysis. Parameters for successful and safe cleaning of corrosion products on metallic threads were determined.