Water structure in polyethylene glycols for preservation of wooden artefacts. A NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopic investigation

The interaction between polyethylene glycol (PEG) and water in mixtures has been investigated with a particular emphasis on the existence of 'free' water with a tetragonal bulk-like water structure. PEG is used in museum preservation of wooden objects, where free water must be avoided due to the danger of further microbial growth, contractile capillary forces and aqueous transport in wooden archaeological artefacts. A NIR-FT-Raman instrument with excitation at 1064 nm was used for this investigation. The OH stretch region around 3200 cm−1 shows changes in intensity with changing water content and the R(ν¯)-function was applied in order to observe free water in the 100-300 cm−1 region. Mixtures of PEG and water were investigated with water contents ranging from 0 to 90% volume. It was found that free water appears around 28-32% volume in a PEG 600 mixture.