Hybrid siloxane oligomer: A promising consolidant for the conservation of powdered tremolite jade artifacts

Abstract

Jade has played a pivotal role in the political, economic, cultural, and technological development of ancient societies. However, numerous tremolite jade artifacts unearthed from archaeological sites exhibit various deterioration patterns due to natural weathering and human activities. Among these, powdering is the most detrimental form of degradation, significantly affecting the physical characteristics of artifacts, as well as archaeological research and museum exhibitions. This paper develops a novel hybrid siloxane oligomer as a potential consolidant for powdered tremolite jade artifacts and compares it with traditional consolidants, including acrylic resin and ethyl silicate. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses show that the jade samples used in the experiment are predominantly composed of tremolite. Various techniques are employed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of the three consolidants, including color variation tests, open porosity tests, contact angle measurements, peeling tests, hardness tests, ultra-depth-of-field microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The novel hybrid siloxane oligomer demonstrates superior consolidation effects, with consolidated samples showing significant improvements in mechanical properties, reaching a Leeb hardness of 163 HL, while maintaining color variations within acceptable limits (ΔE = 3.87). The results demonstrate the potential of the novel hybrid siloxane oligomer in consolidating powdered tremolite jade artifacts.