A topographical assessment and comparison of conservation cleaning treatments

The development of laser cleaning as a conservation treatment has imposed a need for the evaluation and assessment of other cleaning techniques. The use of more traditional methods like abrasive cleaning, steam cleaning and chemical cleaning has relied so far on visual assessment, unlike much of the research applied to laser cleaning. A conscientious use of these cleaning methods requires their assessment as well as the need for a comparison based on a common methodology. A topographical assessment of laser cleaning, abrasive cleaning, steam cleaning and chemical cleaning (using hydrofluoric acid, ammonium carbonate and EDTA) is presented. Topographical variations induced on marble, oolitic limestone and architectural terracotta surfaces are assessed by means of light interferometry, showing the potential of this non-contact and non-destructive technique for surface studies in conservation. The comparison between cleaning treatments is based upon key parameters associated with cleaning surfaces. The aesthetic impact of these treatments is verified by means of optical microscopy and quantified by colour measurement. Chemical analysis of the cleaned surface (EDS) is performed to investigate the removal of surface pollutants and the presence of residues. Finally, petrographical analysis was used to investigate the removal of pollutant layers and its effect on surface texture.