The result is the formation of tiny droplets of oil that are roughly 10 nanometers in size.
"The droplets feature a very high interfacial area between the oil and the water. This very high surface area is the trick we use to extract polymers from the frescoes," Baglioni explained.
Using the microemulsions is rather simple. The researchers protect the painting with thin Japanese paper and pour the microemulsions — in the form of a paste or a gel — onto the wrapped artwork. After 10 minutes to a couple of hours, the paste or gel is removed, and with it, any grime and paraloid.
"It is a cheap, simple and environmentally friendly way to clean masterpieces. Using just one percent of oil, we basically managed to make water a very aggressive cleaning agent," Baglioni said.
Daniela Dini, a restorer in Florence who was not involved in the study but tried Baglioni’s technique, agrees that it is a promising new technology.
"It should not be considered a potion that magically cleanses any masterpiece. However, I must say that it works well in removing paraloid, which unfortunately has been applied to many frescoes," Dini told Discovery News.
