Game-based learning: juego de cartas para aprender Ciencia

[EN] The use of games in the classroom allows the learning of formal concepts in a favourable climate where the students are incentivized for the achievement of a challenge increasing the motivation and the development of competences, thereby promoting the cognitive processes. Taking advance of the features that games provides for learning, an activity aimed at the resolution of specific problems in the field of Conservation and Restoration by the determination of instrumentation and examination methods for the documentation of Cultural Goods is designed.[ES] La incorporación de elementos lúdicos en el aula permite el aprendizaje de conceptos formales en un entorno favorable en el que los alumnos son incentivados en la consecución de desafíos potenciando la motivación y el desarrollo de competencias favoreciendo de esta manera el proceso cognitivo. Aprovechando las características que proporciona los juegos al aprendizaje, se diseña una actividad orientada a la resolución de problemáticas específicas en el ámbito de la Conservación y Restauración mediante la determinación de los instrumentos y métodos de examen necesarios para la documentación de los Bienes Culturales.Osete Cortina, L.; Álvarez Romero, C. (2019). Game-based learning: juego de cartas para aprender Ciencia. En IN-RED 2019. V Congreso de Innovación Educativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 114-123. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2019.2019.10404OCS11412

Visual thinking como nexo entre Ciencia y Arte

[EN] In this work, visual thinking is proposed with the aimed of facilitating the learning of scientific-technic subjects aimed at students with a humanistic profile. Scientific concepts of great difficulty are more easily comprehended throughout the expression of ideas in a graphic way. For that reason, the use of the artistic language, common in the field of Fine Arts is planned, for the purpose of the scientific study of artworks by means of collaborative activities.[ES] En este trabajo, se propone la aplicación de la herramienta visual thinking con la finalidad de facilitar el aprendizaje de disciplinas científico-técnicas a alumnos de formación humanística. Los conceptos científicos de gran dificultad son más fácilmente asimilables mediante la expresión de ideas y pensamientos de forma gráfica. Para ello se plantea el uso del lenguaje artístico, común en el ámbito de las Bellas Artes, al servicio del análisis científico de obras de arte, a través de actividades colaborativas.Osete Cortina, L.; Álvarez Romero, C. (2019). Visual thinking como nexo entre Ciencia y Arte. En IN-RED 2019. V Congreso de Innovación Educativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 850-857. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2019.2019.10454OCS85085

Characterization of additives of PVAc and acrylic waterborne dispersions and paints by analytical Py-GC-MS and Py-Silylation-GC-MS

[EN] Commercial formulations of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and acrylic dispersions and paints commonly used by artists include a number of additives such as surfactants, coalescing agents, defoamers and thickeners, which are designed for improving shelf-life, as well as chemical and physical properties of the resulting product. Recent studies have shown that additives present in paints play an important role in the alteration processes undergone by the painting during ageing and further in cleaning tasks planed in conservation interventions. However, the identification of additives is a difficult task due to the elusive character of these substances present at low concentration in the paint. In this context, a four-step approach is proposed that includes analysis of paint samples together with analysis of their water extracted products by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and pyrolysis-silylation-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-silylation-GC-MS). This analytical strategy enables a better characterization of common additives present in commercial PVAc and acrylic paints and dispersions. In particular, the analysis of water soluble extracts, which are mainly composed by paint additives, avoids the interference of the major polymer pyrolizates. Experimental conditions concerning sample preparation and instrumental working conditions of both Py-GC techniques are optimized. Both acrylic and PVAc paints presented poly(ethylene oxide) (POE) type fragments dominating the background of their pyrograms, especially when derivatized by means of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). For the first time, additives such as alkyl sulfate and alkyl ether sulfate with C-10 and C-12 alkyl chains, poly(ethoxylate) fatty alcohol and octylphenyl poly(ethoxylate) surfactants were identified, as well as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) protective colloids, hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) thickeners an defoamers. Their major fragments and corresponding mass spectra are discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Financial support from the MINECO Projects CTQ2011-28079-CO3-01 and CTQ2014-53736-C3-1-P, which are supported with ERDF funds, is gratefully acknowledged.Silva, MF.; Domenech Carbo, MT.; Osete Cortina, L. (2015). Characterization of additives of PVAc and acrylic waterborne dispersions and paints by analytical Py-GC-MS and Py-Silylation-GC-MS. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis. 113:606-620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2015.04.011S60662011

Effects of the use of plant mucilage on the physico-mechanical properties of raw earth structures

[EN] Raw earth constructions, by their very nature, are particularly sensitive to variations in the surrounding climatic conditions. Consequently, the use of this material implies the incorporation of substances of various kinds that have a stabilising function and help to prolong the life of these structures. For this reason, the use of plant substances from succulent plants is proposed, which is also a sustainable and safe option, both for the environment and for cultural assets. In this sense, the aim of the present research is to study the effect of the incorporation of these substances in the chocototype of raw earth used from pre-Inca times to the present day in the Archaeological Park of Cochasquí, Ecuador. For this purpose, plant substances of the cactaceae family of the genus Opuntia; Austrocylindropuntia Subulata (MUHLPFRDT. Backbg) and Opuntia huajuapensis (Bravo), which can be found in the natural environment, have been evaluated. In this experimental investigation, the characteristics of these substances and the influence they can have on the stabilisation of this raw soil have been evaluated through a series of physical-mechanical tests, including: the comparison of the kinematic viscosity of the different plant substances used, as well as the evaluation of the water behaviour in soil samples stabilised with different concentrations of mucilage.[ES] Las construcciones de tierra cruda, por su propia naturaleza, son especialmente sensibles a las variaciones de las condiciones climáticas del entorno. En consecuencia, el uso de este material implica la incorporación de sustancias de diversa índole que tienen una función estabilizadora y ayudan a prolongar la vida de estas estructuras. Por ello, se propone el uso de sustancias vegetales de plantas suculentas, que además es una opción y segura, tanto para el medio ambiente como para los bienes culturales. En este sentido, el objetivo de la presente investigación es estudiar el efecto de la incorporación de estas sustancias en el chocototipo de tierra cruda utilizada desde la época preincaica hasta la actualidad en el Parque Arqueológico de Cochasquí, Ecuador. Para ello, sustancias vegetales de la familia de las cactáceas del género Opuntia; Austrocylindropuntia Subulata (MUHLPFRDT. Backbg) y Opuntia huajuapensis (Bravo), que se pueden encontrar en el medio natural. En esta investigación experimental se han evaluado las características de estas sustancias y la influencia que pueden tener en la determinación de este suelo crudo a través de una serie de ensayos físico-mecánicos, entre ellos: la comparación de la viscosidad cinemática de las diferentes sustancias vegetales utilizado, así como la evaluación del comportamiento del agua en muestras de suelo estabilizadas con diferentes concentraciones de mucílago.Medina Lorente, OM.; Carrascosa Moliner, MB.; Osete Cortina, L. (2022). Effects of the use of plant mucilage on the physico-mechanical properties of raw earth structures. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 987-994. https://doi.org/10.4995/HERITAGE2022.2022.1531798799

Influence of plasticizer and biocide on the functional properties of gelatin-based adhesives used in painting consolidation

The study presented herein focuses on the influence of glycerol and citronella oil, added to gelatin dispersions as plasticizer and biocide, respectively, on the mechanical, water barrier and other functional properties of gelatin-based adhesives used in treatments of painting consolidation. For this purpose, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, atomic force microscopy analyses combined with tensile, water vapour permeability, water content and water solubility tests were performed on gelatin films prepared by adding glycerol and citronella oil. These two products were chosen for their low toxicity and eco-friendly properties. The modification in the behaviour of gelatin-based adhesives as a result of addition of glycerol and citronella oil was evaluated on the basis of changes of the three-dimensional structure of the protein molecules due to their interaction with glycerol and citronella oil. All these data were provided by the analytical techniques. In a second step, stability of the proposed adhesive to light was assessed to establish its suitability for painting consolidation. The results suggest that citronella oil enhances the effectiveness of glycerol to improve mechanical behaviour and reversibility of the gelatine-based adhesive. Light ageing of the specimens containing the proposed additives produced no remarkable changes in structure, mechanical, water barrier and other functional properties of the adhesives.Financial support is gratefully acknowledged from the Spanish 'I+D+I MICINN' projects CTQ2011-28079-CO3-01 supported by ERDEF funds.Domenech Carbo, MT.; Lee, Y.; Osete Cortina, L.; Martín Rey, S. (2015). Influence of plasticizer and biocide on the functional properties of gelatin-based adhesives used in painting consolidation. Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology. 29(17):1774-1795. https://doi.org/10.1080/01694243.2014.975999S17741795291

Characterisation of construction materials: a chemical comparison of historical mortars

[EN] This text outlines the results obtained in a case study about construction materials analysis, concerning a set of watchtowers scattered throughout the territory of Cuenca Province, Spain. The complete understanding of these buildings has been possible thanks to different approaches. Territorial analysis, historic study, surveys and construction definition have been the key-factors of architectural research. But a good result could not be possible without a rigorous chemical study. Samples carried out on mortars from different watchtowers have been compared and analyzed. In this frame, a wide range of microanalysis methods has been applied to the samples (i.e. light microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-X-ray, X-ray diffraction, granulometric analysis, insoluble residue) with the purpose of confirming the constructive homogeneity and technology of the buildings, as interesting examples of Spanish Christian Reconquest.This research has been made possible thanks to the Project “Trazabilidad Histórica Y Perspectivas Para Los Materiales Sostenibles Vinculados A La Tradición Constructiva De La Comunidad Valenciana” Ayudas GV 2014/014, Conselleriad’Educació, Cultura i Esport, GVA, main researcher V. Cristini.Ruiz Checa, JR.; Cristini ., V.; Valcuende Payá, MO.; Osete Cortina, L. (2015). Characterisation of construction materials: a chemical comparison of historical mortars. WIT Transactions on Engineering Sciences (Online). 90:83-94. https://doi.org/10.2495/MC150081S83949

El arranque como práctica artística y su conservación. La colaboración con Patricia Gómez y Maria Jesús González durante el proyecto “Fins a cota d’afecció”

[ES] El presente artículo estudia una nueva colaboración llevada a cabo entre artistas y restauradores. A lo largo de los últimos años, varias han sido las conservadoras-restauradoras que han colaborado con las artistas Patricia Gómez y Mª Jesús González durante el proceso creativo de sus obras. El último trabajo colaborativo de esta índole, y que se presenta en este artículo, surgió de un proyecto ideado por las artistas para la exposición “Fins a cota d’afecció”, muestra inaugurada el 21 de junio de 2018 en la galería 6 del Institut Valencià d’Art Modern (IVAM). El trabajo colaborativo comenzó en la intervención de la galería 6 del IVAM, donde ocho restauradoras participaron, conjuntamente con las artistas, en la materialización de la idea del proyecto. Terminada la obra y una vez su exposición finalizó, se inició una nueva fase de colaboración: el arranque de la pintura de las paredes y la investigación para optimizar el sistema de adhesión a un nuevo soporte.[EN] This article studies a new collaboration carried out between artists and restorers. Over the last few years, several curators-restorers have collaborated with the artists Patricia Gómez and Mª Jesús González during the creative process of their works. The last collaborative work of this nature, and which is presented in this article, arose from a project devised by the artists for the exhibition “Fins a cota d'afecció”, inaugurated on June 21, 2018 at Gallery 6 of the Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (IVAM).The collaborative work began with the intervention of gallery 6 of the IVAM, where eight restorers participated, together with the artists, in the materialization of the project idea. Once the work was finished and once its exhibition was over, a new phase of collaboration began: the removal of the paint from the walls and the research to optimize the adhesion system to a new support.Hernández Altarejos, I.; Soriano Sancho, MP.; Osete Cortina, L. (2020). El arranque como práctica artística y su conservación. La colaboración con Patricia Gómez y Maria Jesús González durante el proyecto “Fins a cota d’afecció”. Arché. (13 - 14 - 15):121-128. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/15647512112813 - 14 - 1

La reversibilidad de los estratos de intervención utilizados en pinturas murales arrancadas

[ES] El presente trabajo se centra en realizar un estudio de la reversibilidad de los estratos de intervención utilizados a lo largo de la historia en el proceso de traspaso de una pintura mural arrancada a un nuevo soporte. Son muchos los materiales empleados y estudiados a lo largo de la historia desde 1965 por lo que el presente trabajo tiene como objetivo determinar el estrato de intervención que más reversible se muestra y menos daña la obra. El estrato de intervención o estrato de sacrificio, como su propio nombre indica tiene como propósito principal actuar de barrera entre el nuevo soporte y la obra para así poder facilitar el proceso de eliminación del soporte sin resultar un proceso dañino para la obra. El trabajo se centra en un repaso de los materiales utilizados como estratos de intervención y un bloque experimental en el que se ha realizado una serie de probetas con un mismo soporte y diferentes combinaciones de estratos de intervención y adhesivos. En este caso, enfocaremos el estudio hacia las pinturas murales arrancadas mediante la técnica strappo, de la cuál obtenemos únicamente la película pictórica tras el proceso de arranque. Las probetas se han sometido a un tratamiento de reversibilidad, dependiendo de la naturaleza del estrato de intervención. Los resultados obtenidos han servido para determinar los grados de reversibilidad de los distintos materiales y combinaciones.[EN] The present work focuses on the study of the reversibility of the intervention strata used throughout history in the process of transferring a wall painting torn to a new support. There are many materials used and studied throughout history since 1965, so the present work aims to determine the intervention layer that is the most reversible and less damaging to the artwork. The intervention stratum or stratum of sacrifice, as its own name indicates, has the main purpose of acting as a barrier between the new support and the artwork in order to facilitate the process of eliminating the support without being a harmful process for the painting. The study focuses on a review of the materials used as intervention layers and an experimental block in which a series of mock samples with the same support and different combinations of intervention layers and adhesives have been made. In this case, we will focus the study on wall paintings torn off using the strappo technique, from which we obtain only the pictorial layer after the start-up process. The specimens have been subjected to a reversibility treatment, depending on the nature of the intervention stratum. The results obtained have allowed determining the degrees of reversibility of the different materials and combinations.Díaz Gómez, T.; Soriano Sancho, MP.; Osete Cortina, L. (2020). La reversibilidad de los estratos de intervención utilizados en pinturas murales arrancadas. Arché. (13 - 14 - 15):61-68. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/156581616813 - 14 - 1

Study on the impregnation of Laropal A81 to consolidate the wood support in easel paintings

[EN] The following work is focused on the study of the suitability of the urea-aldehyde resin, commercially known as Laropal (R) A81, for consolidation treatments on deteriorated wood from panel paintings. The physicochemical properties of this resin, such as the low molecular weight, low viscosity in solution and, interestingly, the possibility to be dissolved in low-toxicity solvents, suggest that Laropal (R) A81 could penetrate well into the wood microstructure thus offering an alternative option to other resins which require the use of more harmful solvents. The behaviour of Laropal (R) A81 for the consolidation of deteriorated wood was compared to that of other two resins widely used as consolidants - Regalrez (R) 1126 and Paraloid (R) B72. Laropal (R) A81 was dissolved in Mostanol and in Dowanol PM, the Paraloid (R) B72 in butyl ethanoate and the Regalrez (R) in cyclohexane. ATR-FTIR was used for the assessment of resin retention and penetration depth in the wood, whereas FESEM images allowed us to evaluate the morphological changes undergone by the wood as a consequence of the application of the consolidation treatments. The changes in the gloss of the wood were also evaluated, which complemented the results obtained by the other two tests. According to the results obtained in this study, we argue that urea-aldehyde resin has good specificities (good retention and penetration depth) in order to be used as a consolidant for deteriorated wood in easel paintings.Carvalho, CR.; Osete Cortina, L.; Araujo, ME.; Pérez-Marín, E.; Dos Santos Bailao, AM. (2021). Study on the impregnation of Laropal A81 to consolidate the wood support in easel paintings. International Journal of Conservation Science. 12(3):869-878. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/186043S86987812

Microchemical surface analysis of historic copper-based coins by the combined use of FIB-FESEM-EDX, OM, FTIR spectroscopy and solid-state electrochemical techniques

[EN] A multi-technique strategy, including microscopy, spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques, is proposed to study thin corrosion layers that form on the surface of historic copper-based coins. An accurate characterisation of this external corrosion layer is important for selecting a suitable conservation and/or restoration treatment. For this purpose, a series of copper-based coins from different historical periods and provenances, which mainly exhibited atmospheric corrosion, was analysed. The morphology of the corrosion layer and the upper core of coins was studied in trenches done on coin surfaces with a focused ion beam gun, coupled to a field emission scanning electron microscope-X-ray microanalysis (FIB-FESEM-EDX). The X-ray microanalysis performed with FESEM-EDX on trenches allowed elemental composition profiles on the corrosion layer to be obtained. These results were complemented with the compositional data of the corrosion products provided by the voltammetry of immobilised microparticles (VIMP) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and by studying visual appearance by optical microscopy and colorimetry. Cuprite and tenorite (the latter increased with coin age) were the main identified corrosion products, which were accompanied, to a lesser extent, by copper trihydroxychloride polymorphs. Interestingly, metal oxalates and metal-carboxylate complexes were identified on the corrosion layer of most coins. These unusual alteration products of copper-based coins were formed from the organic matter deposited on coin surfaces given their use when placed in circulation or by further manipulations of collectors.Financial support is gratefully acknowledged from the Spanish "R + D + I" project CTQ2017-85317-C2-1-P, CTQ2014-53736-C3-1-P and CTQ2014-53736-C3-2-P, which are supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovation y Universidades, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (ERDF) funds and Agencia Estatal de Investigation (AEI). The authors wish to thank Mr. Manuel Planes, Dr. Jose Luis Moya and Mrs. Alicia Nuez Inbernon, technical supervisors of the Electron Microscopy Service of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia.Domenech Carbo, MT.; Álvarez-Romero, C.; Doménech Carbó, A.; Osete Cortina, L.; Martínez Bazán, ML. (2019). Microchemical surface analysis of historic copper-based coins by the combined use of FIB-FESEM-EDX, OM, FTIR spectroscopy and solid-state electrochemical techniques. Microchemical Journal. 148:573-581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2019.05.039S57358114