‘Wax bloom’ on beeswax cultural heritage objects: Exploring the causes of the phenomenon

The term ‘wax bloom’ is used to describe a thin whitish crystalline layer that develops on the surface of beeswax objects under specific conditions. This phenomenon is undesirable, especially in the cases of objects with aesthetic or informational value, such as wax sculptures or historical seals. A combination of solid‐state NMR and FTIR measurements allowed to obtain fairly detailed insight into the problem and to suggest a probable mechanism of its development. Secondary crystallization of unsaturated hydrocarbons from beeswax was determined as a primary cause. After the macroscopic solidification of beeswax from the melt, these molecules remain for months in a highly mobile, liquid‐like state. This facilitates their diffusion to the surface, where they eventually crystallize, forming the ‘wax bloom’ effect. Although these results are of particular interest with respect to the conservation of beeswax artifacts, they are relevant to this material in general and help with understanding its unique properties. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soluble Salts Quantitative Characterization and Thermodynamic Modeling on Roman Bricks to Assess the Origin of Their Formation

The environmental weathering and the formation of efflorescences on the brick walls are studied at the “Casa di Diana” Mithraeum at Ostia Antica archaeological site. Previous studies on subsoil, bedrock, hydrological systems and environmental conditions, and new ion chromatography analysis combined with ECOS-RUNSALT and Medusa-Hydra thermodynamic modelling software, had allowed us to identify the subsoil contamination related to soluble salts. The atmospheric acidic gases, CO₂ and SO₂, are determined as the main salt weathering species. A dry deposition after a subsequent hydration action from the shallow freshwater aquifer that reaches up to 1 m on the walls is identified as the mechanism of salt formation. An evaluation of potential sources such as the nearby Fiumicino airport, CO₂-rich gases inputs from fumaroles and CO₂ inputs was also debated. The risk level of contamination the surfaces of the materials should be considered mildly/very polluted with a medium/high risk of hygroscopic moisture due to the high concentration of sulphates.     

受限钠盐水溶液孔外结晶现象

多孔材料内含盐水溶液中离子的析出结晶是造成多孔结构破坏的重要因素, 因此在建筑保护和地貌学研究中受到了极大关注. 现有研究主要集中于微孔介质中盐的孔内结晶行为. 本文对比研究了限制于纳孔硅胶颗粒孔隙内的NaCl, NaNO₃, Na₂SO₄三种盐溶液在蒸发过程中盐的孔外结晶行为. 利用扫描电子显微镜对所形成晶体的形貌进行了表征. 实验结果表明: 1) 随孔径从2 nm增加至15 nm, NaCl和NaNO₃在硅胶颗粒表面的结晶由晶粒转变为晶须形态, 而Na₂SO₄则由晶须转变为晶粒形态; 2) NaCl和NaNO₃晶须的生长主要沿垂直于颗粒表面的方向, 而Na₂SO₄晶须则在硅胶颗粒表面斜向生长, 后一种生长方式对硅胶颗粒产生横向的应力, 从而对孔结构具有更强的破坏作用; 3) NaNO₃的细长晶须所具有的分支和珠链结构表明其在结晶过程中发生了Plateau-Rayleigh失稳.