Laser cleaning of stone carvings is a cleaning technology that uses the characteristics of laser beams. It can precisely increase the temperature of contaminants, allowing them to instantly peel off the surface of stone carvings, thereby achieving cleaning. This technology is widely used in the field of cultural relics protection because it has unique advantages such as precise controllability, clean and environmentally friendly, and non-contact with samples.
Laser cleaning is a harmless cleaning method that can precisely control the laser energy required for cleaning, so that it does not harm stone carvings and can remove contaminants. This technology uses the different absorption of laser beams by the surface material of cultural relics and the contaminants attached to them. This difference allows people to distinguish between contaminants and the surface material of cultural relics.
However, laser cleaning technology also has some challenges. For example, the threshold of laser energy that cultural relics can withstand requires a lot of preliminary experiments, because the composition of cultural relics varies greatly, and its optimal cleaning threshold has not yet been fully established. If it is lower than the optimal threshold, the cleaning will not achieve the expected effect, and if it is higher than the optimal threshold, it will cause irreparable damage to the cultural relics. In addition, the high cost of laser equipment and the expertise required for its safe and effective operation pose a major challenge. Improper use may lead to unexpected consequences: thermal damage, breakage or discoloration.
For some special stone carvings, such as sandstone, due to its porosity and color, it may not be possible to achieve the same cleaning effect as marble, and special care needs to be taken when using laser cleaning to avoid damage.
In general, laser cleaning of stone carvings can effectively remove contaminants on the surface of stone carvings without causing damage to the stone carvings themselves under professional operation and correct parameter control. However, it requires professional equipment and operators, as well as a deep understanding of the material and contaminants of the stone carvings to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the cleaning process.
