Solvents and cleaning of paintings

The right approach to the cleaning of a painting

Ilaria Cialdrello

Cleaning of paintings: This term indicates the intervention that aims to eliminate an artifact of
foreign substances on the surface or otherwise altering the result of all those elements that
undermine the integrity and preservation of the artifact itself (glues, paints , etc..) compromising the
visual readability.

The changes are generally caused by natural causes (intrinsic to the materials themselves) or their
interaction with the environment, or are determined by antique restoration.
What is in common parlance is called dirt, foreign material or sovrammesso, is simply material found
in a place where it should be.
The biggest problem for the restorer is not so much to remove the substances, but face the task of
cleaning without damaging the original materials that make up the artifact itself.

Overall a restoration cleaning itself as one of the actions that help to give back the physical and
chemical stability at work.
If possible, it is best performed before any other operation. Then you can proceed with the
restoration without fear of negative outcomes by the presence of dirty data (eg. In a consolidation
operation the used product may also fix the dirt), also preventing proper penetration of some
products (in this case dirt acts as insulating barrier).

The substances to be removed from outside (and therefore not part of the original object), or they
may be products of alteration, which is the result of degradation of the original material (wood
heavily worm-eaten, burned, altered painting materials, etc. ..)
The substances must always be removed from the outside, as all but harmless, indeed, should they
come into contact with the original materials and react with them, may even lead to the formation of
products of alteration.
An example is given saline formations by the action of which is very disruptive and dust, both also
retain moisture. Dust in particular is a source of possible biological attacks (bacteria, fungi, mosses,
etc..) Activates soluble salts above and divisive original pictorial materials.

For the glove is the removal of products of alteration, the discourse is more complex because it
involves the removal of a part of the original material.

In this case, the procedure according to the danger and damage that could result in the piece, sure it
can not intervene except by its removal. Every artifact that requires cleaning treatment is designed
properly: this is only possible thanks to a careful visual examination, possibly including diagnostic and
scientific investigations, as well as art historical research.
To address proper cleaning is necessary to have in fact mind what you have to remove and why they
resort to this operation.
The development of techniques and substances to be used is usually done at a later stage, through
the execution of so-called clean-plugs. The transaction also allows you to assess empirically the
consistency and final layer to be removed and the system most suitable to be used, provided that it
should have sufficient knowledge of chemistry and physics.

We often speak of the level of cleaning.

Contrary to what one might think, a good cleaning does not always and not necessarily a complete
removing foreign material in the piece, the main difficulty stems from the fact that its surface, from
the microscopic point of view, is not perfectly smooth, but with a natural porosity, microcrettature
and slopes, where the dirt goes to settle.
If no dirt is deposited over the years, you may do so at the time, dissolved with a solvent, will
become mobile and partially or completely liquid. It is thus understandable as the total removal of
the dirt can not be done without affecting also part of the original material. The methods to perform
a cleanup are many, but it is necessary that they are selective to act exclusively on unwanted
substances. They must also be easily controlled (by stopping the cleanup when necessary) to avoid
detracting from the original materials, the operation should not proceed beyond the level desired
and considered optimal.

There are mechanical methods that rely on the direct removal of material to be removed without
these substances are dissolved or softened by solvents. It is difficult to control the operation and
success depends on the operator's manual. The means used to perform this type of cleanings are
scalpel (metal and ivory), brushes, abrasives, blasting, laser, ultrasound, etc. ...
This method has the advantage of allowing the operator to not come into contact with chemicals
harmful , although in many cases are necessary protections for the eyes, skin and respiratory system.

However, there are also chemical-physical methods, able to exploit more or less reactive solvents
that dissolve substances to be removed by adjusting the chemical bonds that form it.
The solvents have the ability to bring certain solids in solution or complete state swelling. Among the
many possible solvents, the choice will lead to those with the required properties, low toxicity, low
flammability, appropriate speed of evaporation, purity of composition.

The action of a solvent is much shorter as it is volatile, and so much more volatile than is the lower its
boiling point.
The distinction, once the current laboratories, including solvents, strong and weak solvents, it makes
no sense from the scientific point of view. In fact, since these solvents are not distinguished for their
strength but because of the nature of the substances that can dissolve.

A solid melts when the molecules of a liquid's molecules inserted between the solid by breaking the
intermolecular bonds, what happens when the solid and liquid are made of the same types of
intermolecular bonds. However, large molecules dissolve more easily and remain in a state of
swelling (eg oils).

To easily find the appropriate solvents for all types of solid, we must classify all solvents and all solids
depending on the forces of attraction that characterize them.
The majority of the solids that interest us here are made of molecules next to each other (solid
molecules) that, following their primary or chemical bonds, or intermolecular secondary bonds form
the understanding of which helps to explain the mechanism of dissolution of organic substances on
which they must operate.