Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for on-line control of laser cleaning of sandstone and stained glass

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to control the cleaning process of polluted sandstone and medieval stained glass. A combination of a KrF Excimer and LIBS was used to clean areas of the artwork. The spectroscopic study of the plasma emission was used to determine the elemental composition of the crust and the underlying material. The on-line implementation of the spectroscopic technique LIBS to the cleaning process provides important information about the optimal cleaning parameters of artworks from glass and stone in order to avoid over-cleaning.