Study of corrosion in archaeological gilded irons by Raman imaging and a coupled scanning electron microscope-Raman system

Development of a novel method for the in-situ dechlorination of immovable iron elements: optimization of Cl- extraction yield through experimental design

The conservation of iron objects exposed to marine aerosol is threatened by the formation of akaganeite, a highly unstable Cl-bearing corrosion phase. As akaganeite formation is responsible of the exfoliation of the rust layer, chlorides trigger a cyclic alteration phenomenon that often ends with the total consumption of the iron core. To prevent this degradation process, movable iron elements (e.g. archaeometallurgical artefacts) are generally immersed in alkaline dechlorination baths. Aiming to transfer this successful method to the treatment of immovable iron objects, we propose the in-situ application of alkaline solutions through the use of highly absorbent wraps. As first step of this novel research line, the present work defines the best desalination solution to be used and optimizes its extraction yield. After literature review, a screening experimental design was performed to understand the single and synergic effects of common additives used for NaOH baths. Once the most effective variables were selected, an optimization design was carried out to determine the optimal conditions to be set during treatment. According to the experimental work here presented, the use of 0.7 M NaOH solutions applied at high temperatures (above 50 °C) is recommended. Indeed, these conditions enhance chloride extraction and iron leaching inhibition, while promoting corrosion stabilization.

Raman spectrometer for the automated scan of large painted surfaces

In this work, a novel Raman scanner capable of performing point-to-point mapping of relatively large surface of paintings is presented. This device employs an excitation wavelength of 1064 nm, and it is equipped with a high efficiency probe in order to collect the back-scattered light from each point of analysis. The use of long depth-of-field optics as well as an autofocus system allowed maintaining the best conditions for the Raman signal acquisition during the scanning, regardless of the surface irregularities. The small dimension of the optical components and the reasonable size of mechanical parts made this instrumentation particularly suitable for on-site measurements. Finally, the Raman scanner was also equipped with an online temperature control using a thermal sensor, which allows modulating automatically the output power of the laser source in order to prevent overheating and alteration effects during the scanning process. The capabilities of the Raman scanner were evaluated scanning two valuable paintings one attributed to Ambrogio Lorenzetti and the other to Duccio da Buoninsegna of the fourteenth century.

Archaeological investigations (archaeometry)

Archaeometry is the research area on the edge between humanities and natural sciences: it uses and optimises methods from chemistry, spectroscopy, physics, biology, etc. to help answering research questions from humanities. In general, these objects are investigated for several reasons. Besides the fundamental interest to know about the materials that were used in the past, the study of artefacts can support their preservation, either by helping to select optimal storage or display conditions, either by investigating decay pathways and suggesting solutions. Other reasons for art analysis include provenance studies, dating the artefact or identifying forgeries. Since several years, Raman spectroscopy is increasingly applied for the investigation of objects of art or archaeology. The technique is well-appreciated for the limited (or even absent) sample preparation, the relative straightforward interpretation of the spectra (by fingerprinting - comparing them against a database of reference pigments) and its speed of analysis. Moreover, the small spectral footprint – allowing to record a molecular spectrum of particles down to 1 µm, the typical size of pigment grains – is certainly a positive property of the technique. Raman spectroscopy can be considered as rather versatile, as inorganic as well as organic materials can be studied, and as the technique can gather information on crystalline as well as on non-crystalline phases. As a consequence, Raman spectroscopy can be used to study antique objects and twentieth-century synthetic (organic) materials – illustrating the wide range of applications. Finally, the technique is as non-destructive, provided the laser power is kept sufficiently low not to damage the artwork. In literature, the terms “non-invasive” and “non-destructive” are used, where the first term means that no sampling is involved, and the latter term indicates that no sample is taken or that during analysis the sample is not consumed (destroyed) and remains available for further analysis.