CHEMISTRY FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION II, LABORATORY

The teaching is part of the courses of chemistry applied to cultural heritage. Specifically, the course provides knowledge for designing the different phases of the artifacts conservation (architectural, artistic, archaeological). It provides knowledge for identifying operating methods and intervention technologies suitable to the specific conditions of the building and to the conservation environment. The topics will enable students to develop skills in the design of interventions and in the selection of the most appropriate methods. Some methodologies will also be applied during the part of laboratory activities, in which the students will be able to work directly on real artifacts and verify the operative choices and the methods of evaluation of their effectiveness.

1. Knowledge and understanding
A) To know the fundamental phases of a project for preserving cultural heritage and the modalities of the intervention
B) To know the most important valuation and monitoring methodologies for the conservation of architectural, artistic and archaeological artefacts
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
A) Know how to use scientific knowledge in order to identify conservation issues and possible solutions,
B) Know how to propose methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed methodologies
3. Ability to judge
i) Being able to critically assess the effectiveness of operative choices in relation to the support and to the environmental context
ii) Know how to identify solutions that respect the environment and the health of the operator
4. Communication skills
i) Knowing how to communicate the learned knowledge and the result using appropriate terminology.
ii) Knowing how to interact with the classmates in a respectful and constructive way, especially during the group experimental activities.
5. Learning skills
i) Knowing how to take notes, selecting and collecting information according to their importance and priority.
ii) Being able to be sufficiently autonomous and active in the production and collection of experimental data.

To have reached the educational objectives of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Restoration Chemistry I, possibly having passed the examination of this teaching.

In relation to the training objectives and expected learning outcomes, reported in the sections relative, the contents of the course can be divided as follows:
Theoretical part
- Introduction.
The program, exam mode, and bibliography description.
-The conservation project
Definition of the conservation project in its various phases (from diagnostics to monitoring). Knowledge necessary for the development of the project (interdisciplinarity). Examples
-The cleaning intervention in architecture
Review of the degradation processes of architectural surfaces (including frescoes). Criteria for choosing methods (what to remove). Physical and mechanical methods (from manual removal to the use of the LASER). Chemical methods (from the use of nebulized water, to compresses/pultices with reactive and non-reactive cleaning agents). Control of the interaction of methods with the supports and evaluation of intervention effectiveness.
-The cleaning of the pictorial surfaces (paintings).
Review of the degradation processes of the paintings on mobile support (canvas). Criteria for choosing the intervention methods. Aqueous systems for cleaning paintings (interactions, checks, and valuations). Gels (from modified celluloses to nanostructured gels). Solvents (solubility triangle, solvent mixtures). The control of cleaning efficiency. Study cases.
-The intervention of consolidation and protection of architectural surfaces.
Requirements for protective and consolidating systems applied in cultural heritage. Organic and inorganic polymeric products (nature, stability). Evaluation of the effectiveness in relation to the support and to its conservation status. Study cases.
- Monitoring of the interventions and prevention of degradation
Methods and criteria for monitoring interventions. Instrumental techniques for monitoring. The project for preventing the degradation. Study cases
Part of laboratory exercises
- Choice and application of products for the protection and consolidation of stone materials (organic polymers, inorganic polymers, nano-structured products)
-Evaluation of protective efficacy (evaluation of wettability, water absorption index, colorimetric parameters with CieLAB system)
- Analysis of results and preparation of the technical-scientific report.

A.Amoroso, Trattato di conservazione, ALinea Ed.
Lecture notes and articles provided during the course.

Verification through oral examination and with presentation and discussion of laboratory reports. The oral exam consists of a series of questions concerning both parts of the program reported in the section
The oral exam lasts about 30 minutes. The evaluation of laboratory reports accounts for about 20% of the total grade.

Teaching is organized in:
a) lectures
b) laboratory experiences in which the students, working in groups, realize the experiences proposed by the teacher
Study visits will be organized.
In the "moodle" platform of the University, there is teaching material (interesting publications and some texts).

Italian

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development