Conservation of the Warship Vasa : the treatment and the present problems
In 1628, the Swedish Royal warship Vasa capsized on her maiden voyage. She was salvaged in 1961 and became the first major object to be treated with polyethyleneglycol, PEG. The extensive conservation treatment lasted for almost 30 years. Today a new problem has risen as sulphuric acid is formed in the wood, causing acid hydrolysis of the cellulose.