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Chelation & chemical lysis
TECH
Crustose lichen and deep-set growth grip stone so tightly that scraping or blasting takes the surface with them. Instead, we can dissolve the chemical bond the organism uses to hold on, then break down its cells — lifting it off soft or heritage stone without abrasion. It is the conservation-grade route for surfaces where pressure is simply not an option.
Chelation & Chemical Lysis (protocol P5, Mineral Chelation) is the non-abrasive removal of deeply-bonded biological growth — especially crustose lichen — by chemically sequestering the metal cations the organism uses to grip and dissolve the stone, then lysing (rupturing) its cells. By dissolving the bond rather than grinding it off, it clears growth from soft calcareous and heritage stone without the spalling that abrasion would cause. It is the conservation-grade answer for fabric where pressure is forbidden, aligned with current limestone-bioreceptivity conservation research.
ionic displacement
Chelation & Chemical Lysis (protocol P5, Mineral Chelation) is the non-abrasive removal of deeply-bonded biological growth — especially crustose lichen — by chemically sequestering the metal cations the organism uses to grip and dissolve the stone, then lysing (rupturing) its cells. By dissolving the bond rather than grinding it off, it clears growth from soft calcareous and heritage stone without the spalling that abrasion would cause. It is the conservation-grade answer for fabric where pressure is forbidden, aligned with current limestone-bioreceptivity conservation research.
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