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Abstract
Polysaccharide-based rigid hydrogels are by now well-established means for delivering water or, more generally an aqueous solution, to a surface in a controllable way so as to minimize diffusion and possible side-effects on water-sensitive materials during cleaning treatments. These gels can be applied as pre-formed solid bricks on planar surfaces or brushed onto objects in a semi-solid state. In this note, a different application procedure is presented, suitable for surface cleaning treatments of sensitive painted surfaces: pre-formed rigid gels grated to tiny particles that can be brushed onto the surface. A general discussion on the strategies that can be adopted when water is required to clean a water-sensitive soiled surface is presented, then the new procedure is discussed and a representative case study is shown, supporting the procedure described.
Acknowledgements
The author thanks all the colleagues that with various tasks have been involved in this project and throughout these years have given their precious contribution in different institutions: Cesmar7 in Verona, the University of Parma, the GAM (Galleria d'Arte Moderna) in Milano, and the ICRCPAL in Roma. Special thanks, in particular, to Prof. Antonella Casoli, Univerity of Parma, Department of Analytical Chemistry; to Franco del Zotto and Vera Fedrigo for the photographic documentation; and to Joan M. Reifsnyder for revising this manuscript.