Mechanical strength studies on degraded waterlogged wood treated with sugars

This study aims to measure the mechanical strength of chemically degraded wood samples and compare the values obtained with fresh wood and degraded wood treated with sugars. The mechanical strength of chemically degraded waterlogged wood samples was determined using a three-point bending system to generate load-deflection curves and subsequently calculate the modulus of elasticity and load to failure longitudinally. The values obtained allow us to compare the mechanical properties of white birch wood samples that were air dried after treatment with 60% w/v solutions of sucrose, trehalose, or sucralose. In addition, the same parameters were measured for fresh white birch wood samples and chemically degraded samples that were allowed to air dry without treatment. Fresh white birch was found to have a longitudinal modulus of elasticity of 11.5?GPa whereas this value decreased by 70% when the wood was degraded. Treatment with sugars increased the measured values of modulus of elasticity up to 36.9?GPa, a substantially higher value than for fresh wood. These data indicate that non-reducing sugars could be useful alternatives to polyethylene glycol for the conservation of waterlogged archaeological wood.     

Metal corrosion rates in aqueous treatments for waterlogged wood-metal composites

Abstract

Corrosion rates are presented for metals in the aqueous solutions intended for treating both the wood and the metal components of a waterlogged wood-metal composite object. The metals include lead, mild steel, cast iron and the copper alloys of bronze, cast brass and wrought brass. The corrosion rates were determined using a standard weight-loss method in which clean metal surfaces were immersed in the solutions for two months at room temperature. The treatment solutions included Acrysol® G-11O for lead, Witcamine® RAD 1100 for copper alloys and Pluracol® 824 or the corrosion inhibitor Hostacor® KS 1 in PEG 400 for iron. These treatment solutions were prepared in distilled water as well as in a synthetic seawater. For reference, metal corrosion rates were also determined in distilled water, synthetic seawater and PEG 400. The results demonstrate that, in general, clean metal surfaces corrode more slowly in the treatment solutions than in PEG 400 solutions. However, before recommending these solutions for the treatment of composite objects, further testing is needed to determine how effective they are in reducing the corrosion rates of metals covered with a thick corrosion crust, and to see if Acrysol G-110 is capable of bulking and consolidating waterlogged wood.     

A review of conservation treatments of waterlogged basketry from the northwest coast of North America

Abstract

Basketry artifacts fabricated from spruce and cedar limb wood and root and the inner bark of yellow and western red cedar have been found in water-saturated archaeological sites in the Pacific Northwest since the mid-twentieth century. These artifacts range in age from a few centuries to more than 5000 years old. While these materials retain their overall physical structure due to burial in an anoxic environment they are degraded on the cellular level. Experiments and treatments performed by archaeologists and conservators over the past 50 years have attempted to stabilize these degraded structures and minimize splitting, crumbing, and distortion of the woven structures as they dried. Many of these tests and treatments are published in out-of-print conference proceedings or remain unpublished in conservation lab records. This review of tests and treatments as well as a current condition assessment of several collections brings this information together for the first time and allows conservators and archaeologists specializing in these treatments to see the broader arch of success and failure of the preservation of waterlogged basketry materials.     

The wharf-borer Nacerdes melanura L., a threat to stored archaeological timbers

Abstract

A survey of stored waterlogged archaeological timbers from the Mary Rose revealed that 2% of these timbers were infested by larvae of the wharf-borer beetle, Nacerdes melanura L. Timber species attacked included oak, poplar and pine, with moisture contents ranging between 130 and 670%. In addition, scanning electron microscope studies demonstrated that wood tunnelled by the larvae was microbially decayed. The larvae and their life-cycle were studied and emerging adults were observed penetrating the 500 gauge polyethylene used to wrap timbers. Studies showed that 60 Nylon/100I Surlyn, 70 Nylon/125I Surlyn, T 1–19v, T 1–25x and Camvac were more suitable wrapping materials.     

THE POTENTIAL OF THE CANADIAN WINTER CLIMATE FOR THE FREEZE-DRYING OF DEGRADED WATERLOGGED WOOD

Abstract

The winter climatic conditions of much of Canada provide an ideal environment for freeze-drying. We have been attempting to use these conditions for the drying of large waterlogged timbers. In the freeze-drying process the wood is kept in a frozen state and the drying proceeds by sublimation. We are particularly concerned with the treatment of large timber which present great difficulties when treated by the accepted methods. A structure was built to keep snow and rain off the wood but which allowed air to pass over it. The structure was covered with polyethylene sheet to allow the sun to shine on the wood surface and heat it. Weight changes in the wood were measured with a load transducer and temperature wa followed with thermocouple probes. Temperature and relative humidity of the surrounding air were recorded instrumentally. The timbers were of several varieties of wood in various states of decomposition. All of the wood dried quickly and much of the water was removed. This technique appears to have the potential to treat large quantities of timber in an economic and simple way.     

Natural polymers as alternative consolidants for the preservation of waterlogged archaeological wood

In recent years, there has been increased interest in examining alternative polymers for the conservation of archaeological artefacts, particularly waterlogged timbers, providing better, renewable, greener alternatives to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The degradation of PEG consolidants in the timbers of the sixteenth century warship Mary Rose has been examined and the rheological and thermal properties of PEG have been compared with its monomethyl and dimethyl ethers and several polysaccharide consolidants (chitosan, guar, and 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose) in order to evaluate their potential as alternative consolidants for the conservation of waterlogged wooden artefacts. Additionally, the effect of the polymers on the archaeological wood was characterised by thermogravimetric analysis and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results suggest that the future of conservation technologies lies with polysaccharide consolidant materials, which show enhanced compatibility with wooden artefacts with no detectable side effects while also being cheap, with extremely low toxicity, renewable, and sustainably resourced.     

Insect-Infested Wood Remediation by Microwave Heating and Its Effects on Wood Dehydration: A Case Study of Hylotrupes bajulus Larva

Wood artefacts are subject to damage by biologic infestations due to bacteria, insects, and fungal species. One of the worst feared attacks is due to the xylophagous insects whose larvae feed on wood by boring galleries, at the expense of building timbers and worked woods. These beetles are responsible for daily destruction of the world’s wooden cultural heritage, and their elimination has been always a big problem for conservation of wood. The need to avoid the use of chemical methods in conservation for pest control has led to the development of various non-chemical, non-toxic treatments. Among these, heating with microwaves (MW) seems to be one of the most promising, since it has already shown its high efficacy in destroying pests. Insect-infested wood remediation by MW heating in conservation is based on the larger thermal increment induced in larvae than in wood, due to their different dielectric permittivity in the GHz frequency range. However, the side effects that may occur due to MW heating of wood, such as dehydration, have never been discussed so far. Here we study the possible application of microwave heating as a remediation method for wood samples infested by the larvae of the insect Hylotrupes bajulus. We show that it is possible to set up exposure conditions able to achieve 100% of larvae death and that are sufficiently mild not to induce significant dehydration of the exposed wood from which shrinkage effects may derive. Indeed, under these conditions, MW-induced wood dehydration on cubic and parallelepiped sweetgum samples can be kept under control and to percentages as low as 0.4% (w/w).     

Study of Fe(II) sulphides in waterlogged archaeological wood

Abstract

Wet organic archaeological materials extracted from seawater may suffer damage as a result of degradation influenced by micro-organisms. One of the most common phenomena is indirectly induced by sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Due to their metabolic activity in anoxic conditions, SRB generate hydrogen sulphide from sulphate ions present in seawater. When steel items are in contact with organic matter in presence of sulphides, corrosion of the metal leads to the precipitation of Fe(II) sulphides. These phases are responsible for dramatic post-excavation damage: their oxidation during storage or exhibition in museums leads to the formation of voluminous crystals, which may cause cracking and crumbling, and lead to the production of sulphuric acid. In order to characterize Fe(II) sulphides and their by-products, 13 waterlogged samples were analysed by environmental scanning electron microscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Experiments were performed on untreated wood fragments, on a fragment of rope, and on mineral concretions scratched from the surface of wood remains, all extracted from different shipwrecks. Mackinawite was detected inside the fragments and between the fibres of the rope. Greigite was detected in scattered locations. Pyrite and sulphated phases, like gypsum and iron sulphates, were identified at the surface of the wood fragments and in the mineral concretions.     

A practical comparative study of several treatments for waterlogged wood

Abstract

In this study, the following methods of treatment have been studied: bulking with PEG 4000 in water, methanol and t-butanol solvents; bulking with PEG 540 blend in water; bulking with rosin in acetone; freeze-drying from different concentrations of PEG 400 with various methods of pre-freezing; in situ polymerization with glycol methacrylate and with a melamine formaldehyde resin; water displacement with methylene chloride followed by rosin impregnation. They have all been carried out with five groups of waterlogged wood representative of different species and various states of degradation. Freezedrying, PEG 4000 impregnation in t-butanol and PEG 540 blend impregnation in water gave the most satisfactory results, based on appearance and shrinkage.     

Dimensional Stability and Moisture Properties of Gap-Fillers Based on Wood Powder and Glass Microballoons

ABSTRACT

Conservation of wooden objects exposed outdoors is extremely difficult and complex due to their constant exposure to fluctuating weather conditions and biological degradation. Filling the gaps in such objects requires the use of specific materials that in particular can adapt to changes in wood dimensions in response to humidity variations. Various materials have been used so far for filling voids in wooden artefacts but none of them was entirely suitable. Therefore, the authors have attempted to provide the basic characteristics of the selected commonly used filling materials based on pine wood powder or glass microballoons as fillers and Paraloid® B-72, Klucel® G, or glutin glue as binders, as the first step in research aiming at developing new and more appropriate gap-fillers. Special attention was paid to the dimensional stability of filling materials upon drying and exposure to water vapour and liquid water. The overall results indicate that among the examined fills those consisting of Paraloid® B-72 and glass microballoons revealed best properties as they were relatively dimensionally stable upon drying and exposure to moisture – despite high absorption of water – and were quite easy to finish. Generally, better properties were observed for filling materials containing higher concentrations of adhesives and these materials will be modified in the next step of the research. Since the main drawbacks of the examined gap-fillers were low water resistance, poor dimensional stability upon drying or exposure to water vapour or liquid water, and fragility or friability, future research into their modification will head towards improvement of the above-mentioned properties.     

Iron removal from waterlogged wood: Extraction by electrophoresis and chemical treatments

Abstract

The presence of iron oxides (lepidocrocite, goethite) in archeological wood may result in a degradation of the wood matrix. Extraction of these iron oxides is largely dependent on their solubility. In this study, balsa wood samples were impregnated with iron oxides to test extraction treatments. Additionally, archeological wood samples were also examined to determine treatment efficiency. Electrophoresis and simple immersion treatments were performed using various chemical solutions: a neutral and a conductive substance (potassium nitrate), an acid (acetic acid), three alkaline chelating agents (tri-ammonium and tri-sodium citrate and sodium oxalate), three acidic and slightly acidic chelating agents (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid, and oxalic acid), and a reductant (sodium dithionite). Potassium nitrate did not extract sufficient amounts of iron, irrespective of whether the treatment was conducted by electrophoresis or simple immersion; any observable dissolution was attributed to protonation because of the acidic pH around the anode (as low as 3). Dissolution in acetic acid did not extract iron with either treatment. Strong chelating agents improved extraction, and these compounds gave the best results for simple immersion, particularly EDTA. This chemical is well adapted for use on archeological objects because of its chemical properties (stability constant, speciation based on pH). The addition of sodium dithionite to the solution improved dissolution. Even though electrophoresis improved extraction (in particular for tri-ammonium citrate), none of the tested chelating chemicals were suitable for electrophoresis because of a significant increase in temperature as well as high anode corrosion. The presence of iron sulfide in the archeological wood limited the effectiveness of the tested chemicals. A pre-treatment in sodium persulfate was expanded to include oxidized iron sulfide in oxy/hydroxide iron, which improved the extraction rate.     

Method for Stabilization of Leaded Bronzes Affected by Corrosion of Lead

Abstract

To inhibit the corrosion of lead objects and lead in high-lead bronzes, particularly in the presence of organic emanations from wood, paint, etc., and/or high humidity, is a difficult conservation problem. A method to prevent corrosion of lead in copper objects was therefore developed using benzotriazole (BTA). The most appropriate treatment method for the conservation of the objects was to immerse them in neutral BTA solution, for which a 0.5% (w/v) concentration of BTA was enough. For bigger objects, three or four coats of 1.0% solution applied by brushing were equally effective. The method was used successfully for the conservation of some ancient copper coins and bronze sculptures containing high amounts of lead; it can also be used to inhibit corrosion of lead objects.     

Oxygen concentration and mobility in conserved archaeological wood

Probes for measuring oxygen concentration were installed inside large samples of conserved wood from archaeological shipwrecks to record oxygen profiles as a function of depth under the wood surface. The concentration of oxygen was lower inside the wood than outside indicating that the supply of oxygen is limited and that oxygen is consumed within the material. This was confirmed by oxygen consumption rates averaging 1.3 ± 0.42?µg O₂/g wood/day. The diffusion properties were estimated by placing the wood samples in a nitrogen atmosphere and measuring nitrogen breakthrough time to the oxygen probes at different depths. A high level of variation was observed between the breakthrough times measured at different depths of the samples. This indicated that the access of oxygen is irregular, possibly due to wood heterogeneity and uneven distribution of conservation agent. By recording oxygen concentrations inside archaeological wood under stable environmental conditions, it was shown that oxygen concentration profiles are almost constant over a time span of seven years. This indicates that oxygen consumption, and thus oxidative degradation, is constant for an extended period of time. It also shows that the oxygen concentration inside conserved archaeological wood is a steady state value controlled by the local balance between oxygen supply and oxygen consumption.     

Conserving contemporary artworks: perspectives of artists and curators at the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe

In fine arts, contemporary artists seek to showcase their artistic skills and concepts. There is very little awareness by most artists on the quality of materials they use in art production and the conservation needs of contemporary artworks which pose conservation challenges as materials used and the physical quality of artworks produced are secondary to what the artists seek to express. Of prime interest to them is the expression of concepts through various genres of art creation. However, the quality of material used by most artists is largely affected by their financial situation and inadequate knowledge on the durability of such materials. Artworks created using recycled materials such as found objects and cheap materials like poor quality paint on paintings, low grade paper in artworks, or poor quality wood present conservation challenges to professionals in galleries. The end product are artworks made from composite materials, some stable and unstable. Thus professionals are faced with a dilemma to reconcile the conservation needs of these artworks and the artists’ expression of their concepts. Moreover, in the absence of remedial conservation measures, artworks are prone to deterioration. This is worsened by dwindling donor and government funding which negatively impacts on the gallery's capacity to conserve the art. Additionally, conceptual expression, artistic creativity, and commercialisation of the art are of priority over conservation. Therefore there is need to maintain a balance between the need to express concepts and commercialise the art on one hand and to conserve the contemporary artworks on the other hand.     

Allowable microclimatic variations for painted wood

Abstract

Environmental standards for cultural heritage collections have been much debated in recent years. The interest in the issue has been driven by the growing movement towards green museums, that is, managing indoor museum environments in a responsible and efficient manner, especially in terms of reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions but at the same time maintaining high standards of collection care. Painted wood is among the category of heritage objects most vulnerable to relative humidity and temperature fluctuations. Therefore, scientific understanding of how changes in environmental conditions ultimately affect painted wood is crucial to the development of rational guidelines for the control of climate in museums and historic buildings. This review provides a systematic progression through two fundamental approaches to establish the allowable ranges of climatic variations – an analysis of the mechanical response of painted wood as a complex, multilayer system to climate variations, and an analysis of the historic climate to which the objects have acclimatized. The climate specifications and standards based on both these approaches are reviewed.     

Editorial

Abstract

Twenty-two commercial coatings were chosen, based on their film-forming mechanisms, to study the equilibrium concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their emission rates at steady state. Concentrations of acetic acid (ethanoic acid) and total VOCs were measured using a thermal desorption unit coupled with a gas chromatograph. Almost all coatings released acetic acid, but at different rates. Coatings formed by oxidative polymerization were found to generate a high level of acetic acid at both equilibrium and steady state. The acetic acid equilibrium concentrations from the coatings formed by the other types of mechanism studied tended to be similar to those from red oak, an acidic wood. In a steady-state situation, most of the coatings applied on aluminium or on red oak had acetic acid emission rates lower than that of red oak alone, with the exception of the red oak coated with pigmented films formed by coalescence. The wide range of acetic acid equilibrium concentrations and emission rates for films formed by coalescence is due to the mixture of porous resin, extenders and free acetic acid in the formulations. Consideration should be given to allowing a sufficient drying period (three to four weeks) before using coated enclosures, in order to reduce the VOC concentrations within the enclosures.     

Decay of softwood in archaeological wooden artifacts

Hardwoods and softwoods were used side by side throughout Egyptian history, and importing softwoods that had an attractive color and texture was common. Over the decades, artifacts based on hardwoods and softwoods underwent deterioration phenomena, sometimes reaching either a level of brittleness or turning into a wood powder that may easily crumble. These levels of decay/degradation are often difficult to handle in terms of conservation treatments. To study or identify the reasons for decay has always been a point of interest for conservation purposes, but to assess decay and choose an appropriate treatment according to the state of preservation for the sake of keeping an artifact intact has become a subject of major importance. It is difficult at times to understand the deterioration process, because hardwoods and softwoods are different in structure, properties, and chemical composition. For this preliminary study, decayed samples from three commonly used softwood types, cypress (Cupressus sp.), cedar (Cedrus sp.), and pine (Pinus sp.), were identified and chosen. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the samples indicated the degree of decay. Decayed and non-aged samples of the same wood type were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and all the major carbohydrate and lignin bands were recorded. The strong hydrogen bonded (O–H) stretching absorption associated with water linked by hydrogen bonds to the –OH groups of cellulose and hemicelluloses in all decayed samples increased with decay. The brown powdery, fragile samples that had been evidently affected by microbial decay had a higher amount of lignin. The lignin/carbohydrate ratio was calculated and results compared. The increase of either lignin percentage or extractives in some of the samples had caused a darkening of color in both cypress and cedar samples, but the pine sample did not have the same texture and appearance. In cases where the lignin percentage decreased the samples had changed to a slightly lighter color. FTIR results explained the decay phenomena observed in SEM micrographs and helped assess wood decay and also confirmed results that had been previously obtained while applying traditional chemical analysis on wood.     

Climatically Induced Degradation Processes in Conserved Archaeological Wood Studied by Time-lapse Photography

ABSTRACT

Samples of conserved archaeological wood of different ages, origins, and conservation histories were aged in a climate chamber for seven months, while the humidity alternated between 30% RH for 12 hours and 80% RH for 12 hours at a constant temperature of 30°C. Photographs were taken once every hour, which enabled the creation of a time-lapse movie. Some samples degraded visibly, whereas others were unaffected. Most of the samples were robust and would be able to survive well even in a very poor museum climate. Among the sensitive samples, three types of degradation were identified, namely disintegration, pyrite oxidation, and efflorescence of white crystals. Disintegration was ascribed to dimensional changes caused by the RH alternations in very fragile wood. The white efflorescence was interpreted as the recrystallization of an alum-associated substance, possibly mercallite (KHSO₄). The pyrite oxidation was observed as the efflorescence of a thick yellow, grey, and green powder. Characterization of selected samples was performed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray diffraction spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ionic conductivity – liquid chromatography, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with in situ silylation using hexamethyldisilazane.     

Cellulose degradation in the Vasa: The role of acids and rust

Abstract

The oak timbers of the Swedish warship Vasa are deteriorating. High amounts of oxalic acid have been found along with a low pH and low molecular weight cellulose deep in the wood timbers. The iron-rich surface wood differs from the interior wood in that it displays higher pH and cellulose with higher molecular weight. The objective of this study was to determine why there is a difference in cellulose degradation, pH, and oxalic acid amount between the surface region and the interior of the Vasa timbers. Analysis of cellulose weight average molecular weight by size exclusion chromatography was performed, as well as quantification of oxalic acid and iron by high-performance anion exchange chromatography and atomic emission spectroscopy, respectively. It was found that a decrease in iron content coincides with an increase in oxalic acid concentration and a drop in pH at a certain depth from the wood surface. When iron-rich surface wood samples from the Vasa were mixed with an aqueous solution of oxalic acid, a fast increase of pH over time was observed. Neither interior wood poor in iron nor the fresh oak reference showed the same neutralizing effect during the time of measurement. This indicates that the presence of iron (rust) causes a neutralization of the wood, through the formation of iron(III) oxalato complexes, thus protecting the wood from oxalic acid hydrolysis. This effect was not observed to the same extent for other acids observed in Vasa wood (sulfuric, formic, glycolic, and acetic acids).     

Post-treatment Study of Iron/Sulfur-containing Compounds in the Wreck of Lyon Saint-Georges 4 (Second Century ACE)

ABSTRACT

A pre-restoration diagnosis revealed a high amount of pyrite in the wood of the Lyon Saint-Georges 4 shipwreck (end of the second century). The occurrence of this phase is supposed to result from the microbiologically influenced corrosion of the iron fasteners. So, all the nails and metallic elements were removed from the remains before treatment and the wreck was consolidated by polyethylene glycol impregnation coupled to a specific desalination process. Treated and non-treated samples extracted from the wreck were studied in order to identify the iron/sulfur-containing compounds present in the wood before and after treatment and figure out its effect. Sample analyses relied on an original approach combining magnetic characterization methods and more common elemental and structural analysis methods. The results showed that the treatment was effective in removing soluble salts. However, a large amount of unstable iron sulfides remained inside the wood.