Evaluation of the effects of cyclododecane on oil paintings

The solubility of oil paint components during the application of cyclododecane in solvent mixtures was evaluated in order to predict if the application of cyclododecane during restoration may significantly alter the chemical state of the paint layer in oil paintings. The chemical affinity between some of the oil binder components and non-polar cyclododecane could potentially lead to interactions or leaching during the application. In order to investigate these effects a set of samples taken from oil paintings from the early 1900s and 2008, were treated with cyclododecane in a solution, melted, and sprayed as aerosol. The samples were also submitted to a comparative extractive treatment with cyclododecane and organic solvents of different polarities. After the treatments, the extracted components were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which provided detailed molecular information on the composition of the extracts, together with a quantitative profile of fatty acids in extracted triglycerides, after saponification and derivatisation. The results show that applications of cyclododecane both as a spray and in a saturated solution in a hydrocarbon solvent determine the extraction of a low amount of lipids from the paint. On the other hand, when cyclododecane is applied in the melted form, there is an extraction of lipid components of the paint into the treatment solution

Ruderi e Vegetazione: applicazioni sperimentali per la conservazione integrata del patrimonio archeologico come simbiosi tra costruito e natura

Lo studio intende presentare i primi risultati del progetto di ricerca “Co.R.A.Ve. - Conservazione dei Ruderi Archeologici nei contesti Vegetali” sviluppato dal Politecnico di Torino e CTS Srl e in collaborazione con la Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per l’Area metropolitana di Roma, la provincia di Viterbo e l’Etruria Meridionale e il Parco Archeologico di Cerveteri e Tarquinia. Obiettivo della ricerca è quello definire e attuare metodologie di intervento finalizzate alla conservazione dei ruderi archeologici in aree caratterizzate da una presenza consistente di vegetazione, sia a diretto contatto con i manufatti, sia nelle loro immediate vicinanze. Muovendo dal riconoscimento della molteplicità di valori di cui il rapporto tra ruderi e natura si fa portatore, peculiare nelle aree archeologiche in esame, il progetto intende individuare specifiche azioni di restauro capaci di favorire la convivenza tra manufatti e vegetazione, mediando tra la necessità di garantire la conservazione della consistenza materica dei monumenti e la volontà di preservare le patine del tempo e il contesto di natura del quale i ruderi sono parte

Experimental Procedures of Accelerated Aging and Evaluation of Effectiveness of Nanostructured Products for the Protection of Volterra (Italy) Panchina Stone

The aims of the research were to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of nanostructured products on Volterra calcarenite stone and to define the experimental conditions and procedures of accelerated aging tests, able to simulate different degradation on the studied lithotype. The work focused on methods of performing accelerated aging tests in order to simulate different effects of environmental decay involving stone used on a historical site. The rock samples were examined before and after three treatment types: cyclic salt spray chamber, cycles of freezing–thawing and cycles of thermal shock. After each artificial aging cycle, changes in appearance were noted and chemical and physical properties were measured so that the differences between untreated and treated samples could be compared. After applying nanostructured products on the sample surfaces, and assessing the effects of the accelerated aging, the protective performance of the coatings was evaluated using the contact angle test to evaluate the surface hygroscopicity. Moreover, scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS) analysis was performed before and after each application of nanostructured coating to evaluate changes in the surface morphology. Results demonstrated that Panchina stone showed a high durability to the aging tests, and artificial degradation effects were not largely visible. The nanostructured products seem to be suitable for stone protection by virtue of their good compatibility and effectiveness

Firenze e il Grand Tour Europeo. Paesaggi urbani e vita sociale tra ‘500 e ‘900

Il libro rappresenta una originale messa a fuoco della città di Firenze, così come percepita e descritta dai numerosi viaggiatori europei - per lo più anglosassoni, francesi e tedeschi - che la visitarono o vi soggiornarono tra il secondo Cinquecento e il primo Novecento. Prendono vita le sue architetture e i suoi ambienti monumentali interni alla cerchia muraria (non di rado venuti meno in seguito alle grandi trasformazioni urbanistiche dei tempi della capitale o successivi) e quelli immersi nel paesaggio agrario circostante, insieme con la sua vita culturale, sociale e produttiva