Abstract
Laser cleaning of stones is a well established technique in the field of cultural heritage; however, there are few studies concerning its application to granites, though these rocks have been used from the past as structural and ornamental material in public works and buildings. In humid climates granite is almost permanently damp which causes biological colonisation and blackening of exterior surfaces. This work was focussed on the removal of biological black crust in granite by means of a Nd:YVO4 laser at the wavelength of 355 nm. Analysis of the conditions for efficient removal, and evaluation of the morphological/textural changes on the stone surface allowed us to establish safe conditions of irradiation. A number of surface analytical techniques such as optical microscopy (OM), optical profilometry, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to asses the effects of the laser treatment.
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López, A.J., Rivas, T., Lamas, J. et al. Optimisation of laser removal of biological crusts in granites. Appl. Phys. A 100, 733–739 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-010-5652-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-010-5652-x