Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thermogravimetric analysis

A tool to evaluate the ability of mixtures in consolidating waterlogged archaeological woods

  • Published:
Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Waterlogged archaeological woods (Pinus pinaster, Ulmus cf. minor and Fagus sylvatica L.) were consolidated by using Colophony, Rosin 100, and a mixture of Poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG) 3000 and Poly(propylene) glycol (PPG) 425. The efficiency of the consolidants was estimated by determining the content entrapped into the cavity of degraded wood. For this purpose, thermogravimetry was demonstrated to be a reliable tool. In the case that the polymeric mixture was used for impregnation, it was also possible to discriminate the amount of PEG 3000 from that of PPG 425 captured by the wood capillaries. Regardless of the wood nature, all the consolidants were present in treated samples in large amount (at least 70% w/w). Thermogravimetric results were in agreement with those calculated by using the wood degradation degree and composition of the consolidant mixture. One of the advantages of using this technique consists into requiring very small amounts (a few mg) of sample against the grams necessary for the conventional experiments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chelazzi D, Giorgi R, Baglioni P. Nanotechnology for Vasa wood de-acidification. Macromol Symp. 2006;238:30–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Giachi G, Bettazzi F, Chimichi S, Staccioli G. Chemical characterisation of degraded wood in ships discovered in a recent excavation of the Etruscan and Roman harbour of Pisa. J Cult Herit. 2003;4:75–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Capretti C, Macchioni N, Pizzo B, Galotta G, Giachi G, Giampaola D. The characterization of waterlogged archaeological wood: the three roman ships in Naples (Italy). Archaeometry. 2008;50:855–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Jordan BA. Site characteristics impacting the survival of historic waterlogged wood: a review. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad. 2001;47:47–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Giachi G, Capretti C, Macchioni N, Pizzo B, Donato ID. A methodological approach in the evaluation of efficacy of treatment for the dimensional stabilization of waterlogged archaeological wood. J Cult Herit. 2010;11:91–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Christensen BB. The conservation of waterlogged wood in the National Museum of Denmark. Copenhagen: Museum of Denmark; 1970.

  7. Hedges JL. The chemistry of archaeological wood In: Rowell RM, Barbour RJ, editors. Archaeological wood: properties, chemistry, and preservation. Advances in chemistry Series, vol. 225. Washington: American Chemical Society; 1990.

  8. Gelbrich J, Mai C, Militz H. Chemical changes in wood degraded by bacteria. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad. 2008;61:24–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Bardet M, Foray MF, Maron S, Goncalves P, Trân QK. Characterization of wood components of Portuguese medieval dugout canoes with high-resolution solid-state NMR. Carbohydr Polym. 2004;57:419–24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Jensen P, Gregory DJ. Selected physical parameters to characterize the state of preservation of waterlogged archaeological wood: a practical guide for their determination. J Archaeol Sci. 2006;33:551–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mortensen MN, Egsgaard H, Hvilsted S, Shashoua Y, Glastrup J. Characterisation of the polyethylene glycol impregnation of the Swedish warship Vasa and one of the Danish Skuldelev Viking ships. J Archaeol Sci. 2007;34:1211–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Wang Y, Schniewind AP. Consolidation of deteriorated wood with soluble resins. J Am Inst Conserv. 1985;24:77–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Franceschi E, Cascone I, Nole D. Thermal, XRD and spectrophotometric study on artificially degraded woods. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2008;91:119–23.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Streibel T, Geißler R, Saraji-Bozorgzad M, Sklorz M, Kaisersberger E, Denner T, et al. Evolved gas analysis (EGA) in TG and DSC with single photon ionisation mass spectrometry (SPI-MS): molecular organic signatures from pyrolysis of soft and hard wood, coal, crude oil and ABS polymer. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2009;96:795–804.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lin Q, Su W, Xie Y. Effect of rosin to coal-tar pich on carbonization behavior and optical texture of resultant semicokes. J Anal Appl Pyr. 2009;86:8–13.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. UNI 11205:2007, Beni culturali-legno di interesse archeologico e archeobotanico—linee guida per la caratterizzazione. Milano: UNI; 2007.

  17. Schoch W, Heller I, Schweingruber FH, Kienast, F. Wood anatomy of central European Species. 2004. http://www.woodanatomy.ch.

  18. TAPPI. Standards technical association of pulp and paper industry. New York: TAPPI; 1996–1997.

  19. Browning BL. Methods of wood chemistry, vol. I, II. New York: Interscience Publishers/Wiley; 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Sivalingam G, Karthik R, Madras G. Blends of poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(vinyl acetate):mechanical properties and thermal degradation. Polym Degrad Stab. 2004;84:345–51.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lazzara G, Milioto S. Copolymer-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes in water and in the solid state. A physico-chemical study. J Phys Chem B. 2008;112:11887–951.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Sivalingam G, Madras G. Thermal degradation of binary physical mixtures and copolymers of poly(e-caprolactone), poly(d,l-lactide), poly(glycolide). Polym Degrad Stab. 2004;84:393–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Lazzara G, Milioto S, Gradzielski M, Prevost S. Small angle neutron scattering, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetry studies to characterize the properties of clay nanocomposites. J Phys Chem C. 2009;113:12213–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Bardet M, Gerbaud G, Trân QK, Hediger S. Study of interactions between polyethylene glycol and archaeological wood components by 13C high-resolution solid-state CP-MAS NMR. J Archaeol Sci. 2007;34:1670–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The work was financially supported by the University of Palermo. We thank the Fondazione Banco di Sicilia (Palermo, Italy) which cofinanced the TGA Q5000 IR apparatus (Convenzione PR 4.b/08).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Chimica Fisica “F. Accascina”, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Parco D’Orleans II, 90128, Palermo, Italy

    D. I. Donato, G. Lazzara & S. Milioto

Authors
  1. D. I. Donato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Lazzara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Milioto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. Lazzara.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Donato, D.I., Lazzara, G. & Milioto, S. Thermogravimetric analysis. J Therm Anal Calorim 101, 1085–1091 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-010-0717-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-010-0717-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation