Determining the Effective Parameters for Desalination Process of Non-Glazed Potteries in Immersing System Using Response Surface Methodology

Deterioration of historical porous materials as a result of crystallization of soluble salts is a well-known phenomenon. Optimizing the water consumption in desalination of historical potteries is highly desirable due to safety and conservation of materials. The present paper describes adoption of a response surface methodology (RSM) in central composite design (CCD), through systematic changes in immersing system, to determine the effective parameters of desalination process. The input parameters in the design were consisted of firing temperature, immersing time, agitation rate, type and concentration of surfactant. Electrical conductivity (EC) readings and Ca2 ions concentration monitoring through atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) in the rinse solution were responses of the experiments. The results of this research revealed that the most effective parameters on increasing the salt extraction are firing temperature, immersing time, and agitation rate. The accuracy of modeling optimal ions extraction has been validated by triplicate experiments giving more than 85% conformity with the predicted data by RSM.