EVALUATING NEW AGEING TECHNIQUE FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL TEXTILE CONSERVATION FIELD USING RADIOFREQUENCY AIR AND OXYGEN PLASMA

Abstract

Artificial ageing is a type of testing that uses variables such as heat, humidity, light, acids, air pollutants, and other factors to mimic ageing in particular materials. This testing is an extremely significant stage in studying the behavior of archaeological and historical materials in different environments (e.g., during storage and display) and evaluating the suitability and efficiency of conservation treatments. In this research, the authors evaluate new ageing technique based on the use of Radio Frequency (RF) plasma, which is an eco-friendly method that requires a very short exposure time when compared with other conventional ageing techniques (i.e., thermal, chemical, and light ageing) which require prolonged exposure time. The results proved the effectiveness of this new ageing technique.