• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.16
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• pp.14-31
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• 2015

Sword with round pommel discovered in tomb No.39 in the Jisandong tumuli group (M310) is a large sword with a looped pommel enclosing a sculpted dragon head. The sword was produced using different techniques; gold decoration, plating, openwork carving and hammering by using gold and silver. This sword treated conservation work because it has deformation and damages of handle decoration, missing part of sword, and corrosion. Conservation treatment was that foreign material and corroded metal were removed from the surface, and performed to stabilize and reinforce the weakened metal. During the conservation treatment, the object was examined to understand its materials and production method. The result of research, the dragon head inside the looped, amalgam-plated pommel has surface gold decorations. The pommel has a thin gold plate placed over a bottom plate made of copper, which was hammered to create an embossed design. The silver plate-covered hilt, cylindrical in shape, has an openwork lattice design. The steel blade is single-edged. Finally, the locket of the sheath has an embossed design also created through hammering on a thin gold plate placed over the copper bottom plate.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.26
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• pp.1-12
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• 2021

The bisphenol A epoxy resin currently used for the conservation of stone cultural heritage items is known to suffer from yellowing discoloration. In order to mitigate this yellowing and explore the availability of more diverse materials for the conservation of stone cultural heritage items, a hydrogenated Bisphenol A-based epoxy resin was prepared and compared with the epoxy resin currently used in the conservation treatment of stone cultural heritage items. The newly prepared epoxy resin showed improved physical properties relative to the existing materials, especially in terms of tensile strength, adhesion, and machinability, while the yellowing discoloration was reduced by a factor of roughly five to eight. The results suggest that epoxy resin could be used as a stable material for the conservation treatment of stone cultural heritage items, most of which are located outdoors.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.26
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• pp.35-66
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• 2021

This study conducted scientific analysis and conservation treatment on four suits of armor and two helmets from the collection of the National Museum of Korea. Based on the findings, it identified structural characteristics of armor from the middle and late Joseon Dynasty. Since a suit of armor is made of composite materials consisting of both organic and inorganic elements, conservation treatment was conducted to the extent that the stable condition of each material remained unaffected by the other materials. The process took place in the sequence of investigation and analysis, removal of contamination, stabilization and reinforcement, repair of damaged parts, and storage. The armor and helmets had suffered severe damage, but were safely repaired and partially restored through the conservation treatment. The findings from the conservation treatment revealed the materials used and structural characteristics of the armored skirt from a two-piece set of armor from the middle Joseon period and for the two suits of overcoat-style armor, suit of vest-style armor, and helmets from the late Joseon era. It also allowed the investigation of the production methods of the armor and helmets.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.157-169
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• 2010

This study focused on the material characteristics and archaeometric relationship between the molten glass and bronze materials within the crucibles and gilt-bronze Bodhisattva statue excavated from the Ssangbukri site in Buyeo, Korea. Yellowish green to red brown vitreous material in the crucibles was identified as lead glass which contained scarce amount of BaO, and low $Al_2O_3$ and CaO. Metallic molten material was identified as bronze of copper-tin-lead alloy with low amount of impurities that indicated well-refined materials. Also, cassiterite was used for raw metal ore of tin. The Bodhisattva statue consisted of major copper with trace impurities in the core metal, and gold amalgam in the gilded layer. Though lead isotopic analysis showed contradictory results in each lead glass, bronze and Bodhisattva statue that required further examination, it could be stated that the statue was made in the Ssangbukri site based on the high-level technical skills of bronze production.

• 한국문화재보존과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.115-130
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• 2004

Plant-based cultural assets using straw and grass as household goods of our people's have been used as indispensable tools for practical living for a very long time. However, only a limited number of artifacts were unearthed so far due to tile fragility of the material. For this reason, research on plant-based cultural properties had close to no progress, and the appropriateness of the PEG method, high-grade alcohol method, alcohol--ether-resin method, and Paraloid B-72 used in preserving plant-based cultural properties has not been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, this study examined the weight change rate by applying the methods of Primal MC-76 and vacuum freeze-drying used mostly as a earth-layer hardening material among PEG and acrylic resin, which are applied widely for preservation of waterlogged archaeological wood, as a means to preserve plant-based cultural properties along with the examination of the subject material, and an experiment was also performed on moisture absorption. The findings as a result were, first, the plant-based material being studied was found to be Typha (Typha orientalis Presl). Secondly, the weight change experiment applying $PEG\#400$ and $PEG\#4000$ confirmed a steady increase of weight if PEG -2Step is used for treatment. Third, in preserving all subject materials with soil, treatment with $PEG\#4000$, Primal MC-76, and vacuum freeze-drying showed that tile vacuum freeze-drying method resulted in the largest or $20\%$ reduction in weight, while Primal MC-76 resulted in $18\%$ and $PEG\#4000$ in $8\%$ of weight reduction. It was concluded that, considering the stability of soil measurement, this came to be because resin permeation was carried out along with tile drying process. Fourth, the weight changes were found to be around $10\%$ in various humidity conditions after the preservation treatment. The greatest weight change rate was seen in the case of $PEG\#4000$, particularly having chemicals gush out in a high humidity (RH $84\%$ or higher) environment. In the case of Primal MC-76 and vacuum freeze-drying methods, $6\~8\%$ weight changes were detected, and the lowest weight change was found in the case of the vacuum freeze-drying method. Fifth, as for color changes after treatment, blackening occurred most strongly with $PEG\#4000$, while Primal MC-76 and vacuum freeze-drying manifested colors closest to dry straw or grass. However, the texture of straw was not very evident in the case of Primal MC-76, due to a glossy surface, but vacuum freeze-drying was found to offer tile best result in terms of texture. Putting together the results of the above experiments, vacuum freeze-drying presented after being treated with PEG2-Step the most stabilized changes in weight, while it offered the smallest change in color as well.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.207-222
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• 2018

Celestial Chart Stones (original and reproduction) in the National Palace Museum are representative scientific cultural heritage of Korea. Material analysis and nondestructive deterioration assessment were conducted for long-term preservation of these stones. Material analysis revealed that the original was composed of slate and the reproduction was made of dolostone. The original consists of quartz, mica, dolomite minerals, while the reproduction was made up of dolomite, calcite and forsterite. Major deterioration factors of the original stone were cracks and breakouts. In case of the reproduction, scratches and artificial materials were mainly observed. The green and black surface contaminants present at the sides and back of the two celestial chart stones were interpreted as resin-based paint materials. The physical property evaluation using ultrasonic velocity showed a low velocity in the upper left side of the original, while the front right side of the reproduction showed a weak property. Meanwhile, the To-Tc method using ultrasonic velocity was applied to major cracks that impede stability of the original. As a result, it has been calculated that the beginning and the center of the crack are the deepest.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.141-151
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• 2012

It was the 1900s that the damaged materials of stone heritages began to be preserved and managed for the purpose of reuse, especially since cement, an inorganic material, began to be used during the Japanese colonial period. Epoxy resin, an organic material, was introduced to architecture around the turn of the 1990s, and has been being used across the board. In particular, filler mixtures began to be aggressively used for the structural reinforcement of severed materials. The problem was metal stiffeners used for structural reinforcement. The anchorage length varied depending in different conservation scientists, and as a result the secondary damage was apt to occur in the materials. In this study, hereat, a calculation was made of the most effective anchorage length with the minimization of material damage. The results were as in the following: the anchorage length of an 8-milimeter-across (ø8) metal stiffener was found to be most effective at 60.88mm. Those of ø12 and ø16 were 60.88mm and 91.32mm respectively. In the case of other calibers, the anchorage length was calculated by a formula ${\ell}_d=a_tf_y/u{\Sigma}_0$. In the experiment, helically-threaded round bars were used as metal stiffeners in order that they could bear surcharge loads such as bending, shear and constriction.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.103-109
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• 2014

This study aimed to develop materials to compensate for problems of restoration for lost parts and material problems in the conservation treatment. First, there are several problems with existing materials as follows: secondary damage due to the high shrinkage rate and low adhesive strength, sense of difference due to the severe yellowing, remelting due to irreversibility of materials, processability due to the high strength, sag due to the prolonged setting time in the work process and surface contamination of artifacts due to tools or gloves. In order to solve these problems, this study set developmental goals after understanding the types and physical properties based on epoxy resin among the currently used restoration materials of pottery and earthenware. The developed epoxy resin is epoxy putty, which is cured within 5 minutes, for earthenware restoration. In the earthenware restoration method, the epoxy putty enhanced the workability by quickly curing in paste form and compensated disadvantages such as surface contamination. In addition, the use of white micro-balloon for the epoxy stock solution made coloring easier and weight lighter, and a restoration material with low shrinkage and superior processability was developed.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.47-64
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• 2015

The excavated potteries and raw clays of the Bronze Age from the archaeological sites in the Cheonan-Asan area were studied on material scientific characteristics and homogeneity. Under the microscope, grainsize of the tempers in the potteries were distributed from less than 1mm to 10mm. Microtexture of the potteries showed various shapes and sizes of pores. In addition to the main minerals such as quartz, feldspar, mica, hornblende, chlorite and talc were found from the X-ray diffraction analysis of potteries, while talc was not found in the raw clay. Therefore, it was considered as an artificially added mineral. Firing temperature of the potteries, which did not contain chlorite, are assumed that they were baked below $850^{\circ}C$. On the other hand, the potteries which had mica and talc, are assumed that they were fired below $900^{\circ}C$. The geochemical characteristics of the potteries and raw clays showed very similar patterns, that means the potteries were produced by using the raw clay sources from each site.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.194-211
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• 2012

Pung-nap mudcastle has brought wide attention to archaeologists since scientific studies were carried out on the various types of building sites and excavated potteries related to A period of Baekje Kindom when it sat Hansung as the capital. It is identified that clay from Ra-No.19 site of Pung-Nap mudcastle has different from compositions that of residential soil. From archaeological point of view, it is believed that the the soil was a source material for potteries due to the appropriate viscosity and inclusions. Mineralogical and geochemical studies show that the compositions between the source material and randomly chosen two potteries from the same site are similar. Behavior pattern classification of major, trace and rare elements provides also very similar result. Artificial specimen has been made at different temperature in order to estimate firing temperature of the potteries by means of various kinds of instrumental application. As a result of the study, it is believed that the firing temperature of the red and brown pottery was $550{\sim}600^{\circ}C$ and $900{\sim}1,000^{\circ}C$ respectively.