Monitoring of Cleaning Treatments for Paper Heritage with Raman Spectroscopy Mapping

Area of Science:

• Paper conservation science
• Spectroscopic analysis of cultural heritage materials
• Material science of historical documents

Background:

• Book heritage requires effective cleaning and disinfection treatments to prevent irreversible paper degradation.
• Minimally invasive treatments are being developed, necessitating rapid, non-destructive diagnostic tools for assessment.
• Previous work established a Raman spectroscopy protocol to monitor paper aging, distinguishing hydrolysis from oxidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply a developed diagnostic protocol using surface scanning Raman spectroscopy to evaluate novel paper cleaning treatments.
• To assess the effectiveness and impact of hydrogel and EUV irradiation treatments on paper parameters.
• To demonstrate the utility of the in operando diagnostic procedure in monitoring treatment-induced changes in paper structure.

Main Methods:

• Utilized surface scanning Raman spectroscopy for non-destructive analysis of paper.
• Developed and applied an in operando diagnostic protocol to monitor paper aging and treatment effects.
• Investigated the impact of hydrogel and EUV irradiation cleaning treatments on paper.

Main Results:

• The diagnostic protocol successfully monitored changes in paper structure during treatment.
• The procedure effectively distinguished treatment-induced changes from intrinsic paper inhomogeneity.
• Evaluated the effectiveness and impact of hydrogel and EUV irradiation on paper parameters.

Conclusions:

• The developed in operando Raman spectroscopy protocol is a rapid, effective, and non-contact method for assessing paper conservation treatments.
• This diagnostic approach aids in understanding the impact of cleaning methods on paper, crucial for book heritage preservation.
• The study validates the protocol's ability to track paper structural changes during conservation interventions.