Dehydration process of unearthed water-containing fragile bone horned artifacts

Abstract

The application discloses a dehydration process of unearthed water-containing fragile bone and horny historical relics, and adopts surfactants with different alkyl chain lengths to be dissolved in ethanol to configure solutions with different concentration gradients as dehydration agents for reinforcement pretreatment; in the dehydration process, the dehydration agents are introduced into the porous interior of the unearthed water-containing fragile bone and horny historical relics through surface spraying and micro-decompression penetration, then the ethanol volatilization is slowed down through sealing with preservative film; the surface spraying and micro-decompression penetration steps are repeated to control the dehydration degree of the unearthed water-containing fragile bone and horny historical relics. When the dehydration protection treatment is performed, the surfactants with different alkyl chain lengths are dissolved in ethanol to configure solutions with different concentration gradients as dehydration agents for reinforcement pretreatment, the dehydration agents are introduced into the porous interior of the unearthed water-containing fragile bone and horny historical relics through surface spraying and micro-decompression penetration, then the ethanol volatilization is slowed down through sealing with preservative film, and the dehydration degree of the unearthed water-containing fragile bone and horny historical relics is controlled by adjusting and repeating multiple times.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention discloses a dehydration process for unearthed, water-containing, fragile bone and horn artifacts, relating to the field of artifact dehydration technology. Background Technology

[0002] Bone and keratin artifacts originate from biological materials. Most bone and keratin artifacts unearthed at archaeological sites primarily include animal bones, horns, teeth, and oracle bones. These artifacts are generally composed of a large amount of inorganic matter (including calcium phosphate, fluorides, and carbonates) and a small amount of organic matter (including polysaccharides and proteins). Long-term underground burial processes cause the proteins in bone and keratin artifacts (such as ivory) to degrade almost completely, leaving primarily inorganic salts. Because most bone and keratin artifacts were buried in silt or damp soil before excavation, they are subjected to a combination of factors (such as geological, environmental, and microbial erosion), often resulting in a waterlogged, decayed state. The porous structure left after the decomposition of proteins and other organic matter within the artifact relies on moisture to maintain its original shape. However, after excavation, sudden environmental changes cause the surface of bone and keratin artifacts to rapidly dry and shrink, while the evaporation of internal free water is relatively slow. This difference in the rate of water loss between the inside and outside of the artifacts causes the structure of unearthed bone and horn artifacts to become more porous, resulting in a sharp decrease in strength and irreversible damage such as cracking, deformation, and powdering, thus losing their inherent value. Therefore, the technical conservation treatment of unearthed bone and horn artifacts must first achieve the purpose of "dehydration" in order to prepare for subsequent "fixation".

[0003] For "dehydration," the goal is to remove most of the water from bone and horn artifacts while preserving their original shape, reducing the water content to a level that is harmless to the artifacts themselves or provides a usable amount for subsequent fixation. Typical methods for dehydrating bone and horn artifacts include natural drying, solution immersion, freeze-drying, and vacuum single-chamber pressure equipment. For water-saturated bone and horn artifacts in a decayed state, natural drying and solution immersion can easily cause the unearthed bone, horn, or ivory to powder or disintegrate. While freeze-drying can result in minimal water loss, it may lead to weak structural adhesion during subsequent filler penetration and reinforcement, and there is a potential risk of surface reabsorption of water and disintegration under high humidity conditions.

[0004] In summary, the existing dehydration processes for excavated water-containing and fragile bone and keratin artifacts have the following drawbacks:

[0005] 1. Natural drying and solution immersion methods may cause unearthed bone, horn, and ivory to become powdery or structurally disintegrate, which will damage the integrity and value of the artifacts.

[0006] 2. While freeze-drying results in minimal water loss, it may lead to weak adhesion of the structure during subsequent reinforcement with fillers, thus affecting the stability of the artifact.

[0007] 3. In high humidity environments, bone and horn artifacts treated by freeze-drying are prone to reabsorbing moisture, causing the artifact structure to fall apart, which increases the risk to the preservation of the artifacts.

[0008] Therefore, existing technologies cannot easily control the difference in water loss rates between the inside and outside of bone and keratin artifacts during the dehydration process. This may lead to irreversible damage such as loosening of the bone and keratin artifact's structure, decreased strength, cracking, deformation, and powdering. It is impossible to effectively remove moisture from bone and keratin artifacts while preserving their original shape, and simultaneously reduce the difference in water loss rates between the inside and outside, thus mitigating the risk of damage.

[0009] Content of this invention

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dehydration process for unearthed, water-containing, and fragile bone and keratin artifacts, solving the problem in existing technologies that cannot effectively remove moisture while maintaining the original shape of the bone and keratin artifacts, while reducing the difference in water loss rates between the inside and outside, thus lowering the risk of damage to the artifacts.

[0011] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives and effects, the invention is implemented through the following technical solution:

[0012] A dehydration process for unearthed, water-containing, fragile bone and horn artifacts involves using surfactants with different alkyl chain lengths dissolved in ethanol to prepare solutions with different concentration gradients as dehydrating agents for reinforcement pretreatment.

[0013] During the dehydration process, the dehydrating agent is introduced into the porous interior of the unearthed water-containing fragile bone and horn artifacts through surface spraying and micro-pressure decompression infiltration, and then the ethanol evaporation is slowed down by sealing with plastic wrap.

[0014] Repeated surface spraying and micro-decompression infiltration steps were used to control the degree of dehydration of the unearthed water-containing fragile bone and keratin artifacts.

[0015] Furthermore, the surfactant used is an alkylamine or alkylammonium salt among cationic surfactants.

[0016] Furthermore, the surfactants used with different alkyl chain lengths are two or more of n-hexylamine, dodecylamine, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and octadecylamine.

[0017] Furthermore, the concentration gradient of the surfactant solution used ranges from 0.02 to 0.2 mol / L.

[0018] Furthermore, the temperature inside the container sealed with plastic wrap should be 14-26℃.

[0019] Furthermore, the surface spraying and micro-decompression permeation steps are repeated for 36 to 72 hours.

[0020] Furthermore: the pressure range for micro-pressure reduction is controlled between -0.03 and -0.06 MPa.

[0021] Beneficial effects:

[0022] In the dehydration and protection treatment, this invention uses surfactants with different alkyl chain lengths dissolved in ethanol to prepare solutions with different concentration gradients as dehydrating agents for reinforcement pretreatment. The dehydrating agents are introduced into the porous interior of the excavated water-containing fragile bone and keratin artifacts by surface spraying and micro-depressurized osmosis. Then, the ethanol is slowed down by sealing with plastic wrap. The process is repeated multiple times to control the degree of dehydration of the excavated water-containing fragile bone and keratin artifacts.

[0023] Specifically, the dehydrating agent used in this invention is a surfactant solution with multiple concentration gradients. This solution has good permeability to unearthed bone and horn artifacts; it can effectively reduce the surface tension of bone and horn artifacts, expand the capillary action within the bone and horn to facilitate the drainage of internal free water; it can also act as an interfacial intercalation agent to improve the interfacial properties of the bone and horn artifact body, providing the possibility of interfacial enhancement for the introduction of subsequent reinforcement materials; and the dehydration process is simple and controllable.

[0024] In addition, the surface spraying method is used to atomize the dewatering solution to reduce the weight of dripping and the damage caused by the immersion of multiple solutions. Then, micro-decompression is used to promote the rapid penetration of the dewatering solution into the interior, change the solid-liquid interface contact between pores, and promote the expulsion of excess free water.

[0025] Of course, any product implementing this invention does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of alkylamine extraction and dehydration of unearthed ivory as described in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 Optical photographs and SEM images of the decayed ivory from pit No. 7 used in Examples 1-4 of this invention;

[0028] Figure 3 Infrared spectra of the unearthed ivory before and after dehydration treatment in Example 1; Detailed Implementation

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] In order to overcome the defects in the prior art, this invention discloses a dehydration process for unearthed water-containing fragile bone and horn artifacts, which uses surfactants with different alkyl chain lengths dissolved in ethanol to prepare solutions with different concentration gradients as dehydrating agents for reinforcement pretreatment.

[0031] The surfactants with different alkyl chain lengths used in this step reduce the surface tension of the artifact and increase the affinity of ethanol for the artifact surface, thus achieving a better penetration effect. Combined with the volatility of ethanol, this promotes the rapid replacement of water molecules inside the artifact by ethanol, achieving dehydration. Furthermore, solutions with different concentration gradients can be adjusted according to the specific conditions of the artifact to achieve the best dehydration effect.

[0032] During the dehydration process, the dehydrating agent is introduced into the porous interior of the unearthed water-containing fragile bone and horn artifacts through surface spraying and micro-pressure reduction infiltration, and then the ethanol evaporation is slowed down by sealing with plastic wrap.

[0033] Surface spraying and micro-pressure osmosis can introduce the dehydrating agent more evenly into the artifact, reducing the weight of dripping and the damage caused by multiple solutions, while also facilitating the drainage of internal free water. Sealing with plastic wrap to slow down ethanol evaporation can control the dehydration rate, avoiding excessive differences in water loss rates between the inside and outside, and reducing the risk of damage to the artifact.

[0034] Repeated surface spraying and micro-decompression infiltration steps were used to control the degree of dehydration of the unearthed water-containing fragile bone and keratin artifacts.

[0035] By repeating surface spraying and micro-pressure reduction permeation steps, the degree of dehydration can be more precisely controlled. The amount and frequency of dehydrating agent used can be adjusted according to the specific condition of the artifact to achieve the desired dehydration effect. This method makes the dehydration process simple and controllable, and helps protect artifacts from damage.

[0036] To verify the effectiveness of the method of the present invention, the applicant conducted the following embodiments and comparative examples for verification.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] Prepare hexylamine (HEA) solutions with different concentration gradients. Weigh 0.101 g, 0.202 g and 0.405 g of hexylamine respectively and dissolve them in 20 mL of ethanol. Stir magnetically until homogeneous to prepare hexylamine dehydration water solutions of 0.05 mol / L, 0.1 mol / L and 0.2 mol / L.

[0039] The first sample of unearthed ivory, K7XY-107, was weighed and photographed, and the weight was marked as M0. The K7XY-107 ivory was placed on a non-woven fabric, with moistened filter paper underneath, and then placed in a Buchner funnel. The surface of K7XY-107 was then sprayed 2-3 times with hexylamine solutions of different concentration gradients, with an interval of 2-4 minutes between each spray. Afterwards, it was covered with plastic wrap for micro-reduced pressure infiltration. This spraying and micro-reduced pressure infiltration process was repeated multiple times. After dehydration treatment at 1°C for 36-72 hours, the ivory was weighed (M1) and recorded. Figure 3As shown, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was performed on the dehydrated ivory at 3000-4000 cm⁻¹. -1 and 1600-1800cm -1 The infrared absorption peak of water.

[0040] Example 2

[0041] Prepare dodecylamine solutions with different concentration gradients. Weigh 0.185 g, 0.371 g and 0.741 g of dodecylamine respectively and dissolve them in 20 mL of ethanol. Stir magnetically until homogeneous to prepare dodecylamine dewatering solutions of 0.05 mol / L, 0.1 mol / L and 0.2 mol / L.

[0042] The second unearthed ivory sample, K7XY-107, was weighed and photographed, with the weight marked as M2. The K7XY-107 ivory sample was placed on a non-woven fabric, with moistened filter paper underneath, and then placed in a Buchner funnel. The surface of the ivory was then sprayed 2-3 times with dodecylamine solutions of different concentration gradients, with an interval of 2-4 minutes between each spray. Afterward, it was covered with plastic wrap for micro-reduced pressure infiltration. This spraying and micro-reduced pressure infiltration process was repeated multiple times. After dehydration treatment for 36-72 hours, the ivory was weighed (M3) and recorded, and infrared spectroscopy was performed.

[0043] Example 3

[0044] Prepare octadecylamine solutions with different concentration gradients. Weigh 0.2695 g, 0.539 g, and 1.078 g of octadecylamine and dissolve them in 20 mL of ethanol. Stir magnetically until homogeneous to prepare 0.05 mol / L, 0.1 mol / L, and 0.2 mol / L octadecylamine dehydration solutions.

[0045] The third sample of unearthed ivory, K7XY-107, was weighed and photographed, and the weight was marked as M3. The ivory was placed on a non-woven fabric, with moistened filter paper underneath, and then placed in a Buchner funnel. The surface of K7XY-107 was then sprayed 2-3 times with octadecylamine solutions of different concentration gradients, with an interval of 2-4 minutes between each spray. Afterwards, it was covered with plastic wrap for micro-reduced pressure infiltration. This spraying and micro-reduced pressure infiltration process was repeated multiple times. After dehydration treatment for 36-72 hours, the ivory was weighed (M4) and recorded, and infrared spectroscopy was performed.

[0046] Example 4

[0047] Prepare hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide solutions with different concentration gradients. Weigh 0.364 g, 0.729 g, and 1.458 g of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and dissolve them in 20 mL of ethanol. Stir magnetically until homogeneous to prepare 0.05 mol / L, 0.1 mol / L, and 0.2 mol / L hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide dewatering solutions.

[0048] The ivory sample No. 4, K7XY-107, was weighed and photographed, with the weight marked as M5. The ivory sample was placed on a non-woven fabric, with moistened filter paper underneath, and then placed in a Buchner funnel. The surface of K7XY-107 was sprayed 2-3 times with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide solutions of different concentration gradients, with an interval of 2-4 minutes between each spray. Afterward, it was covered with plastic wrap for micro-reduced pressure infiltration. This spraying and micro-reduced pressure infiltration process was repeated multiple times. After dehydration treatment for 36-72 hours, the ivory was weighed (M6) and recorded, and infrared spectroscopy was performed.

[0049] Example 5

[0050] Based on the content of the foregoing embodiments, the following comparative verification results are presented in this embodiment.

[0051] Comparative Example 1

[0052] The weight of ivory sample No. 5, K7XY-107, was weighed and photographed, and the weight was marked as M7. The ivory sample was placed on a non-woven fabric, with moistened filter paper underneath, and then placed in a Buchner funnel. Anhydrous ethanol solution was sprayed onto the surface of K7XY-107 2-3 times, with an interval of 2-4 minutes between each spray. Afterwards, it was covered with plastic wrap for micro-reduced pressure infiltration. This spraying and micro-reduced pressure infiltration process was repeated multiple times. After dehydration treatment for 36-72 hours, the ivory was weighed (M8) and recorded, and infrared spectroscopy was performed.

[0053] Comparative Example 2

[0054] The unearthed ivory sample K7XY-107 (sample number 6) was weighed and photographed, and the weight was marked as M9. The ivory sample was placed on a non-woven fabric, with moistened filter paper underneath, and then placed in a Buchner funnel. The surface of K7XY-107 was sprayed 2-3 times with hexylamine solutions of different concentration gradients, with an interval of 2-4 minutes between each spray. This spraying process was repeated multiple times. After dehydration treatment for 36-72 hours, the ivory was weighed (M10), recorded, and subjected to infrared spectroscopy.

[0055] Comparative Example 3

[0056] The ivory sample No. 7, K7XY-107, was weighed and photographed, and the weight was marked as M11. The ivory sample was placed on a non-woven fabric, with moistened filter paper underneath, and then placed in a Buchner funnel. The surface of K7XY-107 was sprayed 2-3 times with dodecylamine solutions of different concentration gradients, with an interval of 2-4 minutes between each spray. This spraying process was repeated multiple times. After dehydration treatment for 36-72 hours, the ivory was weighed (M12) and recorded, and infrared spectroscopy was performed.

[0057] Comparative Example 4

[0058] The ivory sample No. 8, K7XY-107, was weighed and photographed, and the weight was marked as M13. The ivory sample was placed on a non-woven fabric, with moistened filter paper underneath, and then placed in a Buchner funnel. The surface of K7XY-107 was sprayed 2-3 times with octadecylamine solutions of different concentration gradients, with an interval of 2-4 minutes between each spray. This spraying process was repeated multiple times. After dehydration treatment for 36-72 hours, the ivory was weighed (M14) and recorded, and infrared spectroscopy was performed.

[0059] Comparative Example 5

[0060] The ivory sample No. 9, K7XY-107, was weighed and photographed, and the weight was marked as M15. The ivory sample was placed on a non-woven fabric, with moistened filter paper underneath, and then placed in a Buchner funnel. The surface of K7XY-107 was sprayed 2-3 times with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide solutions of different concentration gradients, with an interval of 2-4 minutes between each spray. This spraying process was repeated multiple times. After dehydration treatment for 36-72 hours, the ivory was weighed (M16) and recorded, and infrared spectroscopy was performed.

[0061] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments and comparative examples, refer to Figure 1-3 It is understandable that the method of the present invention can achieve the target effect.

[0062] The above are merely some of the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the application in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments shall still fall within the scope of protection of the technical solution of this application.

Claims

1. A dehydration process for unearthed, water-containing, fragile bone and keratin artifacts, characterized in that: Surfactants with different alkyl chain lengths were dissolved in ethanol to prepare solutions with different concentration gradients, which were then used as dehydrating agents for reinforcement pretreatment. During the dehydration process, the dehydrating agent is introduced into the porous interior of the unearthed water-containing fragile bone and horn artifacts through surface spraying and micro-pressure decompression infiltration, and then the ethanol evaporation is slowed down by sealing with plastic wrap. Repeated surface spraying and micro-decompression infiltration steps were used to control the degree of dehydration of the excavated water-containing fragile bone and keratin artifacts; The surfactants used, with different alkyl chain lengths, are two or more of n-hexylamine, dodecylamine, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and octadecylamine.

2. The dehydration process for unearthed, water-containing, fragile bone and keratin artifacts according to claim 1, characterized in that: The concentration gradient of the surfactant solution used ranges from 0.02 to 0.2 mol / L.

3. The dehydration process for unearthed, water-containing, fragile bone and keratin artifacts according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature inside a container sealed with plastic wrap should be 14-26℃.

4. The dehydration process for unearthed, water-containing, fragile bone and keratin artifacts according to claim 1, characterized in that: Repeat the surface spraying and micro-decompression permeation steps for 36 to 72 hours.

5. The dehydration process for unearthed, water-containing, fragile bone and keratin artifacts according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure range for micro-pressure reduction is controlled between -0.03 and -0.06 MPa.

Images