IOP Conference Series: Materials
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The laser as a tool for the cleaning of Cultural
Heritage
To cite this article: A Zanini
et al 2018
IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 364 012078
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Florence Heri-Tech – The Future of Heritage
Science and Technologies
IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering
364 (2018) 012078 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/364/1/012078
The laser as a tool for the cleaning of Cultural Heritage
A Zanini and L Bartoli
El.En. S.p.A., Via Baldanzese, 17, 50041, Calenzano (FI), Italy
l.bartoli@elen.it
Abstract. Laser ablation is one of the most important irradiation effect which can be induced
on optically absorbing materials. Laser cleaning is a particular case of laser ablation where a
specific substrate is uncovered through the removal of undesired layers.
The idea of using
laser ablation for the selective removal of encrustations from the surface of artifacts dates back
to the 70s. However, only in the last years, thanks to studies on the ablative process and on the
development of dedicated laser systems, laser cleaning has become a daily routine in the world
of conservation. The development of brand new devices optimized for the cleaning of artworks
is here reported: the innovative machines exploit the versatility provided by the presence of
different pulse durations, which turned out to be a key parameter in the laser- target interaction.
In addition to the well-known laser cleaning of stones, novel applications are discussed such as
the cleaning of metals, wall paintings, and the novel use of the Er:YAG laser for the removal of
aged varnishes from easel paintings. The growing flexibility and versatility
of the new laser
systems dedicated to the cleaning of artworks enlarge the panorama of successful application
of this cleaning method.
