Can nuclear radiation be used to restore artistic objects?
Nuclear radiations (in particular gamma radiation) have two characteristic properties; on one hand they are ionizing and form free radicals, which can be used as polymerization catalyzers when they act on monomers containing double bonds (such as ethylenic, vinylic, etc. compounds); on the other hand, ionizing radiations have biocidal effects at high doses, i.e. they inhibit biological reproduction and consequently produce cellular death, from which their use as sterilizing agents is derived. For an art work in an obvious process of deterioration (for example a wooden statute, a parchment, etc.), the first thing that must be done is sterilize it to eradicate xylophagous insects, eliminate fungus, etc. Secondly, it must be consolidated so that the environment (humidity, contaminating atmospheric chemical compounds, etc.) do not continue to deteriorate it. The above mentioned properties make it possible to use gamma radiation to perform both operations at the same time, i.e. sterilizatio
