coatings Article Influence of the Laser Wavelength on Harmful Effects on Granite Due to Biofilm Removal P. Barreiro 1, A. Andreotti 2, M. P. Colombini 2, P. González 1 and J. S. Pozo-Antonio 3,* 1 Dpto. Física Aplicada, Escola de Enxeñaría Industrial, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain;
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[email protected] (M.P.C.) 3 Dpto. Enxeñaría dos Recursos Naturais e Medio Ambiente, Escola de Enxeñaría de Minas e Enerxía, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +34-986814077 Received: 29 January 2020; Accepted: 21 February 2020; Published: 25 February 2020 Abstract: The colonization of stone-built monuments by different organisms (algae, fungi, lichens, bacteria, and cyanobacteria) can lead to biodeterioration of the stone, negatively affecting the artistic value of the heritage. To address this issue, laser cleaning has been widely investigated in recent years, due to the advantages it offers over traditional mechanical and chemical methods: it is gradual, selective, contactless, and environmentally friendly. That said, the laser parameters should be optimized in order to avoid any by-effects on the surface as a result of overcleaning. However, as the adjustment of each parameter to clean polymineralic stones is a difficult task, it would be useful to know the effect of overcleaning on the different forming minerals depending on the wavelength used. In this paper, three different wavelengths (355 nm, 532 nm, and 1064 nm) of a Q-Switch neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) laser, commonly known as QS Nd:YAG laser were applied to extract a naturally developed sub-aerial biofilm from Vilachán granite, commonly used in monuments in the Northwest (NW)Iberian Peninsula.