Description of the analytical techniques commonly used in the field of cultural heritage conservation.
Laboratory activities focused on the application of these techniques on samples of historical and artistical interest
knowledge of the analytical techniques commonly used in cultural heritage conservation and their possible application in this field
Prerequisites
knowledge of the principles of chemistry and of the basic analytical chemistry
Courses required: none
Courses recommended: none
Teaching Methods
lectures and laboratory lessons
Further information
Frequency of lectures, practice and lab: Highly recommended
Type of Assessment
The exam is oral and includes a verification of the learning of the topics covered during the course through the description of at least two scientific articles published in international journals (for this purpose it is recommended to prepare a presentation using appropriate software). The student's ability to clearly explain the concepts covered in class is evaluated
Course program
-Chemistry for Cultural Heritage: introduction to the materials of interest in the field of Cultural Heritage and to the most important pictorical and artistic techniques. Pigments, binding media (polysaccharides, proteins and siccative oils), terpenic resins
-Preparation and analysis of cross sections
-Conservation strategies in the frame of a restoration workshop
-Sampling strategie: invasive, micro-invasive and not-invasive sampling
ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN THE FIELD OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
-Optical microscopy
-Color analysis
-Infrared spectoscopy (FTIR)
-Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with X ray energy dispersion microprobe (EDX)
-Cheromatographic analysis and mass spectrometry
-Analysis through mass spectrometry of secondary ions with time-of-flight analyser (TOF-SIMS)
-X ray diffraction (XRD) and X ray fluorescence (XRF)
-Dating through radiocarbon analysis
The description of the above mentioned techniques will be accompained with applicative examples on real artifacts and real restoration workshops and by some lab demonstrative experiences where some real samples will be analyzed