Exploring the Potential of Polyvinyl Alcohol-Borax-Based Gels for the Conservation of Historical Silk Fabrics by Comparative Cleaning Tests on Simplified Model Systems.

ABSTRACT: Cleaning historical silk textiles is a particularly sensitive operation that requires precise control to prevent mechanical or chemical damage. In this study, we investigate using flexible PVA-borax-based gels to remove soot from silk, i.e., polyvinyl alcohol-borax (PVA-B) gels and polyvinyl alcohol-borax-agarose double network gels (PVA-B/AG DN) loaded with different cleaning agents-namely, 30% ethanol and 1% Ecosurf EH-6-in addition to plain gels loaded with water. These gel formulations were tested on simplified model systems (SMS) and were applied using two methods: placing and tamping. The cleaning results were compared with a traditional contact-cleaning approach; micro-vacuuming followed by sponging. Visual inspection, 3D opto-digital microscopy, colorimetry, and machine-learning-as

SUBMITTER: Al-Emam E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12840747 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature