ABSTRACT

The usage of neat or blended organic solvents for painting cleaning presents several drawbacks due to the poor selectivity and environmental impact. The uncontrolled penetration of solvents into the painted layers may cause swelling or leaching of binders and varnishes (Phenix & Sutherland 2001). To overcome these issues, water-based cleaning systems, such as microemulsions, have recently received much attention (Giorgi et al. 2010), because the amount of organic solvents is very low and it is confined in a stable way. This ensures a bigger control of the cleaning process and a very low environmental impact. Obviously, this approach can be followed on artifacts that are not water-sensitive, i.e. wall paintings and stones. In fact, the hydrophilic layers of easel paintings in contact with water are prone to swell, which often leads to painting detachment (Pizzorusso et al. 2012).