The team of de Cruz and Wolbarsht
proved through their research that
at a wave length of 3 microns in the
mid-infrared field, foreign material
consisting of painted surface
discolored varnish, cross-lined encrustations and over paint could
be satisfactorily removed without
causing a chemical or physical
change in the painted surface.
The explanation of the success
of this technique was the
discovery that the laser
pulse is mainly absorbed
by OH groups in the foreign
material which, in turn, limits
the penetration of the laser
pulse to a depth of
3-5 microns.
History of the Application