Emulsion system without surfactant as an alternative to the use of a solvent gel

Gels are high viscosity dispersive systems formed of a liquid continuous phase and solid dispersed phase. Two main advantages appear with the use of gels for the conservation of the Cultural Heritage. Firstly, cleaning control due to the reduction in penetration and capillarity diffusion and also the evaporation solvent. The other advantage is toxicity reduction. The use of solvent gels had great impact on conservation, but caused the problem of its elimination from the porous network of the material in which they are applied and also the use of solvents for their neutralization and clearance. Moreover, these gels are ionic so they should not be used on surfaces that retain moisture. This study analyses the use of an emulsion system without surfactants as an alternative to solvent gels for cleaning the overpainting layers of the mural paintings of Santos Juanes church, in Valencia.