The Effects of Laser Radiation on Adhesives, Consolidants, and Varnishes

Abstract

The Laser Conservation Research Facility at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art continues to research the effects of laser energy on adhesives, consolidants, and coatings that are commonly used in conservation or have been used in the past. This paper augments research that was presented at the LACONA IV conference under the title, “Possibilities for removing epoxy resins with lasers” [2]. That study focused on two epoxy resins commonly used in conservation. In this second stage of research, a selection of 35 conservation materials was exposed to several wavelengths of laser light (1064 nm, 532 nm, 355 nm, 351 nm, and 248 nm). The results demonstrate the importance of recognizing polymers and oligomers on artifacts and knowing the likely effects of laser exposure upon them. This preliminary research is intended to spur future research into these disparate materials by the LACONA community.