Artifact Restoration

Dramatically shorten treatment time.

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The properties of supercritical fluids make it an ideal alternative to traditional artifact restoration techniques. Conventional methods are costly, time consuming and often damage the artifact.

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For restoring metallic objects, use subcritical water. Subcritical water has a higher diffusion rate and a lower viscosity than water under ambient temperatures. Corrosion goes deep into the pores of the metal. Surface tension, viscosity and transport properties become limiting factors with traditional restoration methods.

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Subcritical water treatment of artifacts:

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Removes very high levels of Cl- from samples in very short periods of time.

 

Dramatically shortens treatment time;

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• Subcritical water - 5 days

• Conventional - over 6 months

• NaOH or Na2CO3 alone sometimes not effective

 

Specimens maintain their physical appearance and mechanical properties. 

 

Corrosion resistance is maintained (even samples stored in a saturated water vapour chamber maintain resistance to corrosion for at least 2 years).

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For drying of organic artifacts, see critical point drying.