Towards Sustainable Museum Conservation Practices: A Study on the Surface Cleaning of Contemporary Art and Design Objects with the Use of Biodegradable Agents

Abstract

Green contemporary art conservation cleaning methods are explored as sustainable museum practices, ensuring the conservator’s health and reducing the environmental impact. The performance of selected biodegradable cleaning agents, namely deionised (DI) water, a chelate based on trisodium salt of methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA), Trilon® M, a non-ionic surfactant based on alkoxylated fatty alcohols (Plurafac® LF900), and two solvents, limonene and ethyl lactate, was evaluated for the surface cleaning of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polylactic acid (PLA), polypropylene (PP), and plasticized polyvinyl chloride (pPVC). Plastic mockups were used untreated or artificially soiled, simulating particulate matter or sebum stains produced by handling. Furthermore, the efficacy of ink removal from the plastic’s surface was evaluated. Surface examination was carried out using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), while μ-Raman and gloss measurements complemented the cleaning assessment methodology. The cleaning agents’ potency depends on the type of plastic, precluding a general cleaning protocol. However, their cleaning efficacy is very promising, enriching the available choices for the cleaning of plastics, using sustainable materials and practices. This study offers valuable information to the conservation field regarding the effects of the selected biodegradable cleaning agents on each type of plastic, their application method, and their cleaning efficacy for the removal of different types of soil and ink.

Preservation and Conservation of Al-Qur'an Collection in North Sumatera Al-Qur™an History Museum as Historical Study

“…Light can come from natural sources (sun) or artificial sources (lamps). Conservation at the Museum of the History of the Qur'an still uses simple curative conservation or preservation, such as cleaning with a brush on each sheet, cleaning dust with a vacuum cleaner, using acid paper, using a microscope (Kampasakali, Fardi, Pavlidou, & Christofilos, 2021).…”

Assessing the Use of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as a Carrier for Alkoxysilanes to Consolidate Degraded PUR Ester Foams: An Alternative to Traditional Methods

“…In recent years, sustainable methodologies (cost-effective and safe for the user and the environment) have gained increasing importance in the field of conservation of modern and contemporary art [19,20]. One approach to reduce hazardous solvent emissions is the use of supercritical fluids (SCF), substances for which both temperature (T) and pressure (p) are kept above their critical values.…”

Assessing the Impact and Suitability of Dense Carbon Dioxide as a Green Solvent for the Treatment of PMMA of Historical Value

“…After the POPART project, research into developing new cleaning options for plastics remains relatively sparse. Recent studies have explored the use of more sustainable conservation approaches, such as deep eutectic solvent (DES) formulations for the removal of degraded gelatin on cellulose nitrate cinematographic films [ 25 ]; natural and biodegradable solvents, such as limonene and ethyl lactate; nonionic surfactant based on alkoxylated fatty alcohols (commercial product Plurafac ® LF 900) [ 26 ]; and various types of confining systems and gels for the cleaning of PMMA and other plastics [ 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”

“…However, solvent residues were noted on the surface after cleaning and required further clearance with a dry cloth. Plurafac ® LF 900 proved to be very effective in removing carbonaceous soil, while ethyl lactate removed sebum soil, but left stains of soil mixed with solvent residues on the surface [ 26 ]. Confining systems and gels, such as agar, gellan gum, Nanorestore Gel MWR, or Nanorestore Gel Peggy 5 or 6, were shown to reduce mechanical friction and, hence, induce significantly less damage compared with traditional cleaning tools.…”