IMEKO Event Proceedings Search

   

Page 107 of 977 Results 1061 - 1070 of 9762

Chaturvedula S. Sastri, Thierry Sauvage
Fuel contamination problems in Roman woodfired glass furnaces: Carbon determination in Roman glass by deuteron activation technique

Carbon analysis in glass is a very difficult task. In the production of glass with Roman wood-fired glass furnaces, one can expect carbon contamination from absorption of fuel gases and/or powdery residues from furnace walls in the glass melt, and also residues from plant-ash used as flux. Sometimes carbon was intentionally added to get a distinct colour to glass. We have developed a highly sensitive non-destructive nuclear technique for carbon analysis by deuteron activation based on C-12(d,n)N-13 reaction. The method is simple, rapid and can help archaeologists understand more about the purity of ancient glass production and contamination problems associated with it. The theoretical detection limit for carbon is 5 ppm. The method is also suitable for carbon analysis of pottery.

Annarita Altobelli, Paola Cennamo, Giorgio Trojsi, Maria Rosaria Barone Lumaga, Andrea Carpentieri, Giancarlo Fatigati
Experimentation on the removal of Paraloid B72R from the wooden surface of Egyptian artefacts from the National Archaeological Museum in Naples

This paper reports the results of experimentation about the removal of a polymeric film of aged Paraloid B72R placed to protect some wooden artifacts belonging to the Egyptian collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), in particular the study was conducted on two shabties dated to the 19th Dynasty and a sculpture of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris dating to the late period. Thanks to the collaboration between the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and the Laboratory of Restoration of Wooden Artifacts of the University of Naples Suor Orsola Benincasa, it was possible to conduct an in-depth study of the artifacts, not only from an archaeological-historical point of view but also from a conservation point of view, which led to the development of the above-mentioned experimentation and the planning of a proper restoration intervention. The study and experimentation were supported by several diagnostic investigations. At first, non-invasive investigations were carried out to study the execution technique and the state of conservation of the artifacts, so it was possible to carry out the recognition of the wood species that constituted the three sculptures through optical microscopy, some investigations such as IR reflectography, and fluorescence induced by UV and X-ray radiation (XRF) were conducted for the identification of pigments and investigate their chemical nature. By analyzing the state of conservation of the artifacts, the porpoises of the restoration work were set, among which was to attempt the removal of Paraloid B72R through a methodology that would act in full respect of the wooden support of the two shabties and the statuette of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. Therefore, a study was carried out by evaluating the pros and cons of the different methodologies that have been tested in recent decades and most used for the removal of aged Paraloid from the surfaces of the artifacts. After choosing the methodology best suited to the needs of the works under consideration, an experiment was conducted aimed at verifying the effectiveness of the selected methodology.

Paola Buscaglia, Andrea Baldi, Sabrina Grassini, Sara Croci, Paola Croveri, Luisa Cervini, Corrado Cremonini, Alessandro Re, Alessandro Lo Giudice
Assessment of consolidation treatments: micro-CT as a potential tool for material’s penetration detection

In the frame of an experimental study focused on structural reinforcement of wood by consolidation, developed during two master's theses in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (Turin Universiy in collaboration with Centro Conservazione e Restauro La Venaria Reale), the potentials and limits of possible investigation techniques to verify the performances of the treatments, both superficially (optical and electron microscopy) and in terms of penetration (microtomography) were evaluated. This paper discusses the main preliminary results, with particular attention to the micro-CT measurements, carried out for detecting the penetration of consolidating materials into the wood. The results appear particularly encouraging in terms of potentialities of the diagnostic technique, taking also into consideration its non-invasiveness and, in perspective, of possible applications to real case studies, boosted in the case of addition of nanocomposites (metal particles) to traditional materials for consolidation.

Andrea Macchia, Romina Strangis, Sara De Angelis, Marica Cersosimo, Antonella Docci, Michela Ricca, Bartolo Gabriele, Raffaella Mancuso, Mauro Francesco La Russa
Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs): first results obtained from their application as biocides in the field of Cultural Heritage

In the context of the conservation of cultural heritage, a problem to be solved is the biological degradation of monuments. The biocidal agents used for cleaning biodegraded surfaces are few and must have adequate requirements. One of the main challenges is the development of eco-friendly products for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are a class of green solvents, beneficial and safe that could be used as biocides in cleaning and preserving cultural heritage. In this contribution, five different DES were applied for the first time as biocides on a mosaic in the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica (Rome) and their biocidal action was evaluated by luminescence, bioluminescence and spectrocolorimetry analyses. The first results obtained from this study are very promising for the use of DESs as a new green strategy for the treatment of biodegraded surfaces in the field of cultural heritage.

Vittoria Guglielmi, Valeria Comite, Claudia Asia Pini, Andrea Bergomi, Mario Colella, Chiara Andrea Lombardi, Marta Provera, Fabrizio Preda, Paola Fermo
Hyperspectral Imaging and Raman Analyses of the Red Decoration of the St. Mauro Altar in St. Salvatore's Church (Pavia)

In the basilica of St. Salvatore, antependiums belonging to different phases of monument decoration are visible. The most valuable, the marble frontal of the high altar, dates to 1511 and is probably the only one from the first decorative phase of the church. The side altar frontals appear to be made of wood, embroidered damask, or other fabrics. They are partly related to the renovations the basilica underwent when it was reopened for worship in the early 20th century, except for this frontal in St. Mauro’s Chapel, which was plausibly made during the early 18th-century redecoration of the chapel itself. Because of its style and construction, it is assumed to belong to the Baroque decorative phase, referring to the date "1709" painted on the vault. This hypothesis is being verified by means of art-history research supported by the diagnostic study of the materials. The analyses, which are ongoing, were initially conducted on the red areas of the artefact, using portable Raman and visible reflectance spectroscopic techniques. Subsequently, measurements were taken with a hyperspectral camera, obtaining images highlighting the spatial distribution of the red pigments on the frontal.

Paola Marzullo, Lucia Nucci, Elena Piacenza, Federica Arcidiacono, Delia Francesca Chillura Martino
Rare Japanese fabrics of the Ragusa-Kiyohara collection. A spectroscopic characterization

The Vincenzo Ragusa and O’Tama Kiyohara artefact collection belonging to the Liceo Artistico Ragusa Kiyohara in Palermo is one outstanding example of the artistic encounter between the European and Eastern worlds. In this contribution, we report a physical-chemical characterization of Japanese fabrics of the Ragusa- Kiyohara collection. Metallic threads finely decorate these fabrics conferring their preciousness. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis and the Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy were used as complementary techniques for elemental identification and molecular recognition. The artefacts presented here are a rare testimony of oriental art in our cultural heritage. Therefore, this work can be part of a path that, starting from the preliminary material knowledge, can develop appropriate restoration and conservation strategies.

Fabrizio Barone, Marco Casazza, Rocco Romano
Standalone detector for vibroacoustic heritage monitoring

This paper describes the results of preliminary application tests for a stand-alone prototype data acquisition system. The system was developed for monitoring and characterizing the vibroacoustic landscape and, in particular, the vibroacoustic heritage, such as music instruments or performing spaces. The tests, performed on a building in the historical center of Napoli, show a possible interconnection between acoustic and displacement signals, as external forcing of the monitored structure, with exchange of the cause-and-effect roles, especially at low frequency.

Francesca Assunta Pisu, Pier Carlo Ricci, Carlo Maria Carbonaro, Daniele Chiriu
Degradation study of pigments through transient absorption and colorimetry

The application of non-destructive techniques in the field of cultural heritage is becoming fundamental to understanding degradation phenomena. In this study, Transient Absorption (TA) spectroscopy and colorimetry were exploited to explain the process which causes the degradation of some pigments, like Red Vermilion and cadmium yellow. The optical properties involved in the process are studied before and after exposing the pigments to UV light (365 nm). The study was carried out with particular attention to the ground state bleaching signals, directly connected to the formation of intragap trap levels responsible for the pigment degradation. First derivative reflectance spectra reveal the presence of these defects in the cadmium yellow, while the analysis of Tauc plots from Kubelka Munk function confirms the reduction of energy band gap due to UV exposure in the case of Red Vermilion. Transient Absorption turns out to be an important tool for the diagnosis of the conservation state of pigments.

Marco Casazza, Fabrizio Barone, Elvio Bonisoli, Luca Dimauro, Simone Venturini, Marco Carlo Masoero, Louena Shtrepi
Wooden music instrument vibro-acoustic fingerprint: the case of a contemporary violin

Violins are complex wooden musical instruments, whose quality is mainly evaluated on the basis of their aesthetics, as well as depending on the historical relevance of their makers. However their acoustic quality remains a key evaluation parameter for performers and listeners. The instrument perceived quality, in turn, depends, on one side, on the player, the environmental conditions and on the listeners’ psychoacoustic factors. On the other side, the quality of a violin depends on its materials, constructive and setup parameters, that impact on the vibro-acoustical characteristics of the instrument. This work investigates a procedure for the vibro-acoustic characterization of a violin, here called vibro-acoustic fingerprint, as an example of vibro-acoustical characterization of a wooden music instrument. The procedure was applied, as a case study, to an Italian contemporary violin, built in the year 2011 by the violin-maker Enzo Cena on a Guarneri del Gesù model.

Joel Aldrighettoni, Barbara Marana, Maria Grazia D'Urso
Visualization of military heritage in the current landscape by comparing LIDAR features

The present paper belongs to a line of research known as aerial archaeology and compares some specific visualizations of LIDAR data (hillshading, openness, and sky view factor) to understand which of them can provide the best approach to suitably identify and unveil some archaeological permanences as function of different boundary conditions. In the present case, such permanences belong to the very special material heritage consisting of the physical traces of the Great War, although latent, they persist in the present landscapes at different states of preservation and visibility, waiting to be unearthed to express their cultural potential. They represent an indispensable palimpsest of "minor signs" such as, for example, fragments of entrenchments, gun emplacements, shelters, bomb craters, and temporary shelters. Such elements made the war machine work at that time while, nowadays, if properly recognized and enhanced, could foster the revitalization of the territories where they are placed.

Page 107 of 977 Results 1061 - 1070 of 9762