Experiences in removal of thin layers and in cleaning of artwork by means of Nd:YAG pulse laser

At the Fraunhofer Institute of Materials Physics and Surface Technology UWS), research on removal of thin layers and cleaning of objects of cultural heritage by means of pulse lasers be-an in 1994. For this purpose, the Nd:YAG-laser NL 102 of the producer BMI is mainly used. The objects to be laser treated were chosen and the results were evaluated in cooperation with the Landesamt flair Denkmalpflege Dresden, the Hochschule für Bildende Kunst Dresden, and the Ingenieurbüro für Bauwerkserhaltung Weimar. The investigations covered cleaning of surfaces and well-defined c removal of layers. Among the materials treated in this way was mineral materials, metals, and organic materials as wood, paper, and textiles. This paper presents some selected cases where the laser treatment served different purposes. the peculiarities of the cases and the obtained results are discussed.