NEW TREATMENT FOR THE CONSOLIDATION AND THE PROTECTION OF WOOL YARNS FROM A FLEMISH TAPESTRY OF THE XVITH CENTURY

Introduction The degradation process of artwork on cultural heritage can be caused by environmental conditions, temperature, UV rays, and humidity, that accelerate the aging process by changing their chemical structure and starting biological attack, alteration, chemical modification, material loss, and interaction between different materials [1]. 2. Results and Discussion New sustainable material made with natural halloysite nanotubes and Keratin was studied for the protection and consolidation of artwork. This innovative green nanocomposite material was tested as a coating layer for the treatment of wool samples, keratin-based on cultural heritage [2]. SEM and optical microscope analysis showed that treated samples were covered without creating any significant variations in the structural shape of the wool. The consolidation % effect of Hal/Keratin treatment was investigated by comparing treated samples at different concentrations of nanotubes with untreated samples. The amino acid cysteine, content on keratin, interacts with wool keratin and cross-links through disulphide bonds restoring wool degradation. After UV exposure of treated and untreated wool samples, the protective efficacy of Hal/Keratin treatment was investigated by mechanical analysis, and it was demonstrated an improvement of stress at breaking (average ca. 30%) and Young Modulus (average of ca. 58%) for treated samples related to the untreated wool sample. Hal/Keratin treatment (R Hal:K=0.5) was applied to a wool historical yarn sample from a Flemish tapestry of the XVI century and analysing tensile properties of treated historical yarn compared to untreated sample, historical yarn acquired mechanical resistance after Hal/K treatment. 3. Conclusions In conclusion, the application of Hal/Keratin dispersion on historical wool confirmed that is a promising consolidation and protective coating for wool samples. Keratin dispersion allows to create a film as a reinforcing coating for wool damaged, and halloysite nanotubes to enhance the mechanical resistance of wool sample.