Acrylate emulsion synthesized via glow discharge electrolysis for restoration of flaking mural in Mogao Grottoes
摘要
Finding the ideal adhesive is crucial for restoring salt-damaged murals. Acrylate emulsion is a commonly used material for mural conservation. However, during the preparation process, there is a soluble salt by-product, which will create a risk of salt damage for the restored mural. Herein, an acrylate emulsion with lower soluble salt was prepared by glow discharge electrolysis (GDE). A probable formation mechanism was put forwards. Additionally, the adhesive properties were assessed by restoring the simulated flaking mural. The results found that the emulsion solid content is 35.37%, and the conversion rate is 89.25%. The emulsion presents spherical structure with diameter of about 100 nm. The polymerization mechanism is a free radical-initiated chain addition process. The performance testing showed that the contact angle is 45o, the maximum degradation temperature is 412 °C, and glass transition temperatures is 3.61 °C. The restoring performance of acrylate emulsion synthesized by GDE is better than that of commercial acrylate emulsion. GDE is a simple, efficient, controllable, and green technique for synthesizing the emulsion with lower soluble salt.
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