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activity of deionized water (fwd)
Sender: David Walker <cnstnce@cats.ucsc.edu>
Subject: WSN: activity of deionized water
I am a textile conservator with a question about deionized water. It is
generally considered by most people working in my field that as water is
purified it becomes more and more a "neutral" medium for treating
textile fibers - that is, that the effects which are normally observed
on protein and cellulosic materials by water are not increased - while
the effects of "impurities" naturally decrease. At the same time. it is
assumed that deionized water increases the desorption of unwanted
substances for the fiber/water interface (cleaning), but it is assumed
that there is no effect upon the fiber itself.
My question is: Are degraded protein and cellulose polymers likely to be
increasingly affected as water becomes increasingly pure? Can deionized
water be considered more "active" in breaking bonds, solubilizing or other
effects? If so, what degree of purity should be appropriate for use in
conservation treatments?
David Walker
Talisman Textile Conservation
cnstnce@cats.ucsc.edu