Laser cleaning of works of art: evaluation of the thermal stress induced by Er:YAG laser

The Er:YAG laser has proven particularly efficient in cleaning procedures of works of art. The removal of the superficial deposits is achieved through melting, thermal decomposition and evaporation. However, the energy absorbed by vibrational modes is dissipated as heat, increasing the temperature of the surface coating that could cause damage on the object. The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperature increase induced by a Er:YAG MonaLaser (LLC., Orlando, FL, USA). To that purpose, we designed a dedicated device to perform the tests in an inert atmosphere or with a wetting agent, to measure the radiant energy per laser pulse. Tests were carried out both on graphite, which absorbs IR radiation and showed a very intense flash emission, and on different kind of samples representative of materials with different levels of conductivity and thermal diffusivity. Results obtained showed that the temperature increase in the irradiated surface depends on the substrate but never causes the damage of the organic and inorganic material. The use of a solvent as wetting agent has been also tested.