Optimised pulse duration for the laser cleaning of oil gilding

The laser cleaning problem of gold leaf gilded surfaces was investigated here. Preliminary irradiation tests carried out on pure gold leaf standards evidenced the crucial importance of the laser pulse duration for avoiding serious damages. Optimised pulse duration providing good cleaning results with negligible side effects was then selected and successfully used in the restoration of three Renaissance masterpieces

Temperature-controlled portable Raman spectroscopy of photothermally sensitive pigments

In this work, an innovative NIR Raman device (excitation wavelength at 1064 nm) was developed in order to avoid thermal stress and consequent chemical alterations of the materials analyzed. In particular, we devised and tested for the first time a sensored Raman probe allowing for temperature-controlled measurements based on a thermoelectric sensor providing the feedback signal for suitably modulating the output power of the laser source and then limiting undesired heating effects within the irradiated volume. The experimentation was carried out on cinnabar, lead white and indigo pigments frequently used during the past centuries, which presents pronounced photothermal instability. The results achievedin a set of instrumental and analytical tests using different measurement control parameters allowed demonstrating the effectiveness and reliability of the present approach for preventing thermal alterations effects during Raman spectroscopy and speeding the measurements, as well as for monitoring spectral variations associated with the crystals anharmonicity over large temperature ranges. These features alongwith the portability of the novel device can make in situ Raman characterisation of valuable paintedsurfaces including photosensitive materials very safe and efficie

Preliminary results of the Italian neutron experimental station INES at ISIS: Archaeometric applications

The INES project was sponsored by the CNR Neutron Spectroscopy Advisory Committee, stressing the importance of realizing an Italian Neutron Experimental Station (INES) at the world most powerful pulsed neutron source (ISIS, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK) and evidencing the strategic value that such a test station would assume in the field of applied sciences like, for example, chemistry, material science, Earth science, crystallography, and last, but not least, in the field of science applied to the study of cultural-heritage artifacts

Detection of the Glass Transition of Polymers Used in Art and Art-Conservation Using Raman Spectroscopy

In this work, Raman spectroscopy was employed for the detection of the glass transition temperatures (Tg) of some thermoplastic polymers and natural terpenoid resins. In particular, our attention was focused on evaluating the Tg of polystyrene and colophony. The measurements returned Tg values in accordance with those reported in the literature obtained using the DSC technique, thus confirming the reliability of the approach proposed herein. Further studies will be focused on the evaluation of Tg temperature changes depending on materials treatments and ageing

Preliminary results of the Italian neutron experimental station INES at ISIS: Archaeometric applications

The INES project was sponsored by the CNR Neutron Spectroscopy Advisory Committee, stressing the importance of realizing an Italian Neutron Experimental Station (INES) at the world most powerful pulsed neutron source (ISIS, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK) and evidencing the strategic value that such a test station would assume in the field of applied sciences like, for example, chemistry, material science, Earth science, crystallography, and last, but not least, in the field of science applied to the study of cultural-heritage artifacts

Employment of an auto-regressive model for knock detection supported by 1D and 3D analyses

In this work, experimental data, carried out on a twin-cylinder turbocharged engine at full load operations and referred to a spark advance of borderline knock, are used to characterize the effects of cyclic dispersion on knock phenomena. 200 consecutive incylinder pressure signals are processed through a refined Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) mathematical technique, adopted to define the percentage of knocking cycles, through a prefixed threshold level. The heuristic method used for the threshold selection is then verified by 1D and 3D analyses. In particular, a 1D model, properly accounting for cycle-by-cycle variations, and coupled to a reduced kinetic sub-model, is used to reproduce the measured cycles, in terms of statistical distribution of a theoretical knock index. In addition, few individual cycles, representative of the whole dataset, are selected in a single operating condition in order to perform a more detailed knock analysis by means of a 3D CFD approach, coupled to a tabulated chemistry technique for auto-ignition modeling. Outcomes of 1D and 3D models are compared to the ARMA results and a substantial coherence of the numerical and experimental results is demonstrated. The integrated 1D and 3D analyses can hence help in supporting the choice of the experimental threshold level for knock identification, following a more standardized theoretical approach

Non-destructive characterisation of a Villanovan sword using time-of-flight neutron diffraction

In the present work we report an example application of time-of-flight neutron diffraction for the non-destructive characterisation of ancient bronzes. A Villanovan sword tightly joined to its scabbard by corrosion has been investigated. Data on alloy composition of the different parts and information about the manufacturing techniques have been successfully achieved. The present study is part of an extensive non-destructive investigation program concerning bronze productions of Central Italy during the Iron Age