The Evaluation of The Effect of Agarose-Based Cleaning Systems on Cotton Fabrics | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Chemistry | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 21 August 2025 | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejchem.2025.388022.11817 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
rasha sadek  1; Mahmoud Morsy2; Sawsan ..... Darwish 3; Omar Abdelkarim 4
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| 1Chemical Metrology Department, National Institute for Standards, Tersa St. El-Haram, Giza, Egypt | ||||
| 2Textiles Metrology, National Institute of Standards, Egypt | ||||
| 3Conservation department, faculty of archaeology, Cairo university, Giza,Egypt | ||||
| 4Department of Organic Antiquities Restoration, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, 12613, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Cotton textiles, commonly affected by ink stains, due to frequent handling and misuse, present a significant conservation challenge. As interest in sustainable conservation methods increases, agarose-based gels have gained attention as promising, non-invasive alternatives due to their controlled application and minimal impact on the treated material. This study investigates the efficiency of agarose gel-based systems in comparison to conventional solvent-based treatments for removing ink stains from both aged and unaged 100% cotton fabrics. Various concentrations of agarose gels (2%, 3%, and 5%) combined with different ratios of isopropyl alcohol (60%, 80%, 100%) were evaluated alongside commercial and solvent-based treatments—both with and without suction assistance. The efficacy of these treatments was assessed through colorimetric measurements, visual inspection, USB microscopic inspection, FTIR spectroscopy, and mechanical testing. The results indicated that although solvent-based treatments with suction—especially those using 100% isopropyl alcohol—were effective in removing stains, they notably weakened the fabric. In contrast, agarose-based systems, particularly the 3% concentration combined with 60% and 80% isopropyl alcohol, achieved a balanced outcome by providing moderate cleaning while maintaining the fabric’s structural strength and chemical stability. These findings underscore the potential of gel-based systems as safer and effective options for conserving historical textiles. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Ink stains; gel-based systems; solvents; visual and microscopic inspection; colorimetric measurements; FTIR; mechanical properties | ||||
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