A Comparative Study to Evaluate Regalrez, Nano Regalrez, and Nano Composite for the Consolidation of Pigments used on Ancient Egyptian Wooden Artifacts

Mohamed, Hend Bayyoumi; Sobh, Rokaya Aly; El-Hadidi, Nesrin; Darwish, Sawsan S

doi:10.21608/ejchem.2024.286559.9670

A Comparative Study to Evaluate Regalrez, Nano Regalrez, and Nano Composite for the Consolidation of Pigments used on Ancient Egyptian Wooden Artifacts

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Conservator ,conservation center, Grand Egyptian Museum

² National Research Centre, polymers and pigments department

³ Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

⁴ Organic Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

10.21608/ejchem.2024.286559.9670

Abstract

The basic goal of a consolidation process is to reach the stage of strengthening the internal structure of the treated material to preserve its structure and authenticity, and to improve its physical and chemical properties. This paper focuses on evaluating the effect of one of the traditional polymers used in the consolidation of painted wooden artifacts (Regalrez 1094) in three different forms: a traditional polymer (R 3%) in white spirit, a composite Nano polymer (Regalrez 1094 with titanium dioxide nanoparticles in different concentrations (1%, 3%, and 5%), and a nano polymer (Nano Regalrez 3%) to reach the best consolidation of the polychrome layer on wood substrates. The properties and crystallization of the pigments and the size of their grains after the application of nanomaterials were studied. Additionally, the efficiency of the nanomaterials in preserving and stabilizing the color degrees applied to the samples before and after (heat and UV) aging and application of the different forms of the polymer by using Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), color change, USB microscope, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis was also evaluated. The results revealed that the traditional polymer Regalrez 3% gave a good result with the least color change occurring in blue, green, and white colors. A composite Regalrez 3% with TiO2 gave the best result in the two concentrations of TiO2 (1% and 5%) proving the ability of nano additives to improve the characteristics of polymers and their resistance to aging, while Nano polymers gave bad results, high color change degrees, and clear chemical changes in the chemical components of the pigments and paint media after exposure to aging.

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