REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

www.mod.gov.rs

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Material Resources Sector

Defensive Technologies Department

Military Technical Institute

www.vti.mod.gov.rs

LASER CLEANING OF TEXTILE ARTIFACTS WITH CORRODED
METAL THREADS

SLAVICA RISTIĆ

Institute Gosa, Belgrade, Serbia, slavica.ristic@institutgosa.rs

SUZANA POLIĆ

Central Institute for conservation, Belgrade, Serbia, suzanapolicradovanovic@gmail.com

BOJANA RADOJKOVIĆ

Institute Gosa, Belgrade, Serbia, bojana.radojkovic@institutgosa.rs

Abstract: This paper presents the results of the laser cleaning effects on textile samples with corroded metallic threads. In many museum collections there are textile exhibits like uniforms, national costumes, flags and home textiles. The uniforms, costumes and flags were made of canvas, rep, brocade, sometimes of silk, decorated with various techniques: painted or embroidered with metallic threads. Corrosion of metal threads is one of the most common problems that make the damage of the embroidered items. In the practices, application of conventional cleaning methods not giving the expected results, and the implementation of laser technology was the next step for corrosion products cleaning. The Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers were used to clean the corrosion of embroidered items from museum study collection. Effects on the laser irradiated zones was investigated by optical and SEM microscopy and EDX analysis. Some parameters for successfully and safely cleaning of metal threads corrosion without degrading the surrounding material were determined.

Keywords: uniforms, textiles, corrosion, laser cleaning.