Positive findings for plasma polymer (meth)acrylate thin films in heritage protective applications

Plasma technology is an innovative environmental friendly process that can be an option to the conventional methods for materials’ processing. Nonequilibrium low pressure plasma found efficiency as a nondestructive method for the treatment of different materials, many of them belonging to the cultural heritage, in some proper operations such as: atomic-level cleaning, decontamination, thin film deposition. In the paper, the low pressure nonequilibrium plasma is applied for the deposition of plasma polymer poly(methyl methacrylate-co-ethyl acrylate) P(MMA-co-EtA) thin films on natural aged paper, with the consolidation and protective aim. To verify the plasma polymer applicability for paper protection and consolidation, the film is aged accelerated by UV radiation and the structural and morphological changes are evaluated by FTIR spectroscopy, color/gloss measurement, contact angle and AFM.