The Taidong Tomb in the imperial tombs of the Qing dynasties has great aesthetic value and a rich history. In this study, we conducted the first investigation ever performed on the raw materials used in the paintings in the Taidong Tomb. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), polarized light microscopy (PLM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman spectroscopy (m-RS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were used to comprehensively analyze the painting of Long’en Hall, Xipei Hall and the ceiling of Minglou. In the conclusion of the study, the paintings were found to contain natural mineral and synthetic pigments, including atacamite (Cu₂Cl(OH)₃), azurite (2CuCO₃·Cu(OH)₂), vermilion (HgS), carbon black (C), anglesite (PbSO₄), white lead (2PbCO₃·Pb(OH)₂), synthetic emerald green (Cu(CH₃COO)₂·3Cu(AsO₂)₂) and ultramarine ((Na,Ca)₈(AlSiO₄)₆(SO₄,S,Cl)₂). This allows us to conclude that some of the architectural paintings were repainted in the mid-to-late 19th century. The mortar layer may consist of brick ash (albite, gismondine), lime water, tung oil and flour. The fiber layer material may be ramie. Researching the raw materials of the paintings in the Taidong Tomb is of great value because it provides scientific data for the future preservation of the paintings in the tomb.

In recent years, based on the urgent need in the field of cultural heritage conservation, the research and development of coatings have attracted much attention. FEVE (trifluorovinyl chloride and vinyl ether copolymer) is one of the reinforcing materials in the protective coatings of color paint. However, it has problems such as compactness, low tensile strength, and poor resistance to aging. Therefore, modified graphene was introduced and combined with FEVE coatings (FEVE/m-GO) to optimize their adhesion, compactness, resistance to corrosion, and performance at shielding the paintings from ultraviolet light. The structural features of the hybrid films were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, etc. In addition, the water absorption, mechanical properties, color difference test, and aging resistance of the FEVE/m-GO and simulated samples were investigated. The results showed that the hybrid film with 0.04% m-GO incorporation as an effective consolidant exhibited outstanding comprehensive performance. This composite material was used in the protection and consolidation of the Sanyou Xuan ancient architectural color painting in the Palace Museum, which opened up a new way of thinking about the long-term conservation of color paintings.

In recent years, the demand for the protection and restoration of cultural heritage has become increasingly urgent. Particularly for paper-based cultural relics such as ancient books and paintings, their restoration is especially important due to their unique nature and susceptibility to environmental damage. Among various restoration materials, calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) has been widely studied and applied in the protection of paper-based cultural relics. However, commercial Ca(OH)₂ materials have issues such as a large particle size and slow carbonation. In order to address these issues, this study employed carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a support, on which nano-sized Ca(OH)₂ crystals were grown in situ on its surface, followed by loading with TiO₂ nanoparticles, successfully preparing a multifunctional paper-based cultural relic restoration material with reinforcement, deacidification, anti-aging, and antimicrobial properties. It is worth noting that by in situ growing Ca(OH)₂ on the surface of CMC, particle size control, uniform dispersion, and the fixation of Ca(OH)₂ can be achieved. CMC is used to enhance the mechanical strength of the paper, Ca(OH)₂ is used for deacidification, and TiO₂ is used for anti-aging and antimicrobial purposes. This study provides a new approach and method for the restoration of paper-based cultural relics, simplifying traditional multi-step processes and avoiding potential impacts on the cultural relics from multiple repairs.

Paper documents are an important carrier of information related to human civilization, with the reinforcement and protection of fragile paper documents being a key aspect of their protection. This research utilized amphoteric polyvinylamine polymer as a paper reinforcement agent, strengthening the Xuan paper commonly used in paper documents. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), solid-state 13C NMR, and other analytical methods were employed to compare the physical properties, micro-morphology, crystallinity, and aging resistance of the paper before and after reinforcement. Research was conducted on the effects of reinforcement, the aging resistance, and the effects on the fiber structure. The results indicate that polyethylenimine has a filling and bridging effect between the paper fibers. After treatment with polyethylenimine, there was a significant improvement in the folding endurance and tensile strength of the paper. Additionally, the paper maintains a good mechanical strength even after undergoing dry heat and humid aging.

The durability of wooden heritage objects and sites can be affected by external environmental factors, leading to decay, cracking, and other forms of deterioration, which might ultimately result in significant and irreversible loss. In this study, a FEVE resin was modified with Ag₂O/OH-MWCNTS (MA), denoted as MAF, where three concentrations were prepared using in situ precipitation, and the resulting composite adhesive was characterized by a high viscosity and effective bacteriostatic properties, demonstrating a better viscosity and thermal stability, as well as antibacterial properties, than pure FEVE resin. The results show that MAF adhesives present good thermal stability, as evidenced by a lower mass loss rate following treatment at 800 °C compared to the pure FEVE resin. At a consistent shear rate, the viscosity of MAF demonstrates a notable increase with the proportion of MA, which is better than that of FEVE. This suggests that the nano-Ag₂O particles in MA act as physical crosslinking agents in FEVE, improving the viscosity of the composite adhesive MAF. The adhesion strength between MAF and wood exhibits a similar trend, with wooden samples showing higher shear strengths as the proportion of MA increases in comparison to FEVE. Simultaneously, the antibacterial effects of the MAF adhesive exceeded 1 mm for Trichoderma, Aspergillus niger, and white rot fungi. The antibacterial activity of the MAF adhesive exhibited a direct correlation with the concentration of Ag₂O/OH-MWCNTS, with the most pronounced inhibitory effect observed on Trichoderma. The MAF adhesive demonstrates promising prospects as an adhesive for wooden heritage artifacts, offering a novel approach for the rapid, environmentally friendly, and efficient development of composite adhesives with superior adhesive properties.

Archival writing material is an important carrier to record and reflect archival content, and its material and durability are closely related to the life of archives. The “Shuyede” press in Shandong Province, which originated in the reign of Kangxi (1662 AD–1722 AD) in the Qing dynasty, printed many important archives and ancient books of the Qing dynasty (1644 AD–1911 AD). In order to explore the material composition of woodblock printing ink from the Shuyede press, modern analytical and detection techniques such as scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were applied for the analysis and identification of the ink on woodblock plates from the Shuyede press. The results showed that two kinds of printing ink—pine soot ink and oil soot ink—used were in these woodblocks from the Shuyede press in the Qing dynasty in the collection of Shandong Museum, and the binding material in the ink was animal glue, indicating that both pine and oil soot inks were used as printing ink in the Qing dynasty.