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Abstract
Mass spectrometric analysis of aqueous wood extracts from the Swedish warship Vasa reveals a serious chemical condition in the depth of the wood. The surface is less affected. Polyethylene glycol, used as conservation agent, is affected and partly degraded, and low-molecular fragments from hemicellulose are found at sites with high iron content and low pH. These findings imply a catalytic oxidative process and acidic hydrolysis in the wood, which contributes to a new picture of the challenge of long-term preservation of the Vasa.
Keywords: catalytic oxidation; hemicelluloses; hydrolysis; matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF); polyethylene glycol; Vasa; wood degradation
Received: 2007-3-21
Accepted: 2007-10-1
Published Online: 2007-12-05
Published in Print: 2008-1-1
©2008 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
