Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The cleaning of early glasses: investigation about the reactivity of different chemical treatments on the surface of ancient glasses

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to evaluate the reactivity of different chemical cleaning procedures on the surface of archaeological glasses. Investigations were performed on a series of Roman glass samples coming from Sicilian excavations. The ancient freshly fractured glass samples were subjected to different cleaning protocols such as piranha solution (solution of sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide) and EDTA/ammonia and citric acid/ammonia solutions at different pH values. The atomic concentrations of alkaline and alkaline-earth ions, measured using XPS spectra acquired at the surface of all the samples, revealed that, in acid solution, the reactivities of the EDTA and citric acid solutions were higher than that of the piranha solution. Moreover, in alkaline conditions, the reactivities of the chelating agent/ammonia solutions seem to be very high and effective in taking out alkaline and alkaline-earth ions and in destroying the external glassy structure with the formation of a silica gel thin film.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. F.A. Cotton, G. Wilkinson, C.A. Murillo, M. Bochmann, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, 6th edn. (Wiley-VCH, New York, 1999)

  2. P. Cremonesi, L’uso di tensioattivi e chelanti nella pulitura di opere policrome (Il Prato, Padova, 2002)

    Google Scholar 

  3. D.L. Hamilton, Glass Conservation (Conservation Research Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 2000)

  4. M. Pollard, C. Heran, Archaeological Chemistry (The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 1996)

    Google Scholar 

  5. K.J. Rao, Structural Chemistry of Glasses (Elsevier Science, Oxford, 2002)

    Google Scholar 

  6. M. Schreider, Commun. Anal. Chem. 42, 713 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  7. M. Melcher, M. Schreiner, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 352, 368 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. B. Dal Bianco, R. Bertoncello, L. Milanese, S. Barison, Archaeometry 47, 351 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. C.D. Wagner, W.M. Riggs, L.E. Davis, J.F. Moulder, G.E. Muilenberg, Handbook of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (Perkin-Elmer, Eden Prairie, MN, 1992)

    Google Scholar 

  10. L. Alderighi, P. Gans, A. Ienco, D. Peters, A. Sabatini, A. Vacca, Coord. Chem. Rev. 184, 311 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. G. Spoto, E. Ciliberto, in Modern Analytical Methods in Art and Archaeology, ed. by E. Ciliberto, G. Spoto (Wiley, New York, 2000), pp. 363–404

  12. A. Mekki, D. Holland, C.F. McConville, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 215, 271 (1997)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. C. Altavilla, E. Ciliberto, Appl. Phys. A 79, 309 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy

    C. Altavilla, E. Ciliberto, S. La Delfa & S. Panarello

  2. SuperLab-Consorzio Catania Ricerche, Stradale Primo Sole 50, 95100, Catania, Italy

    A. Scandurra

Authors
  1. C. Altavilla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. Ciliberto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. La Delfa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. Panarello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. Scandurra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Ciliberto.

Additional information

PACS

61.43.Fs; 81.65.Cf; 61.66.Fn; 82.80.Pv

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Altavilla, C., Ciliberto, E., La Delfa, S. et al. The cleaning of early glasses: investigation about the reactivity of different chemical treatments on the surface of ancient glasses. Appl. Phys. A 92, 251–255 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4499-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4499-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation