scholarly journals Moisture Damage in Ancient Masonry: A Multidisciplinary Approach for In Situ Diagnostics

Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 406
Author(s):  
Noemi Proietti ◽  
Paola Calicchia ◽  
Francesco Colao ◽  
Sara De Simone ◽  
Valeria Di Tullio ◽  
...  

San Nicola in Carcere, one of the minor basilicas in the historical center of Rome, was the location of a wide investigation campaign of the water-related deterioration causes, present in the lower sector of the apse and adjacent pillars, affected by water infiltrations, mould and salt efflorescence. The results obtained identify the presence of water content and related effects mainly on the sides of the apsidal wall. This work focuses on the use of five Non-Destructive Techniques (NDT) and intends to show the gains obtained by integrating widely interdisciplinary methods, namely the Infrared Thermography (IRT), the Unilateral Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (Unilateral NMR), the Acoustic Tomography (AT), the Acoustic Imaging (AI) and the Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF). All the techniques contribute to the rapid, non-invasive and early identification of the moisture distribution, while some of them (LIF and AI) also address the determination of some moisture effects. The integrated use of different techniques helps to take the multidisciplinary point of view necessary to formulate an effective restoration intervention based on a sound scientific rationale; nonetheless, it allows to experiment a holistic approach, verifying the potential of a wide range of NDTs available within the context of a restoration yard.

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 776-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos S. Katsifas ◽  
George A. Zachariadis

Background: For more than a decade, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry is the primary analytical technique in archaeometric research and especially in the study of ancient copper artefacts. EDXRF has established itself as the fundamental archaeometric analytical technique because of features like: the ability to analyze samples in a non destructive or non invasive way, no requirements for sample preparation, portability, in situ analysis, simultaneous determination of many elements and finally its easy in use. At the same time there is an explosion of related research publications which provide new possibilities to museums and archaeology scientists. On the other hand, due to its limitations it cannot provide information for every analytical question. Objective: The goal of this article is to present an overview of the capabilities of the contemporary EDXRF spectrometry for the study of ancient copper artifacts and the necessity to be implemented, depending on the analytical question, in correlation with complementary analytical techniques which are presented through related case studies. Conclusion: The demand for studying artefacts in situ, the evolution of the instrumentation and the access of more scientists (historians, archaeologists, curators etc.) to archaeometry will maintain EDXRF spectrometry as the central analytical technique. Limitations like inability for light elements detection, penetration depth, low (relatively) sensitivity can be partially overcome with the implementation of other analytical techniques which will provide complementary information. Moreover, progress in non-invasive analysis and new portable instruments combining elemental and molecular techniques expand significantly the capabilities of in situ analysis.


2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Tiano ◽  
C. Filareto ◽  
S. Ponticelli ◽  
M. Ferrari ◽  
E. Valentini

Abstract In the field of conservation of monumental buildings actually a standard methodology is lacking, with which it is possible to determine with the same sensitivity and reliability the "stone hardness" both at the superficial surface and at larger depths (few centimetres), both in laboratory and in situ. The use of the drilling resistance to determine the stone hardness is a very recent application and few working outdoor devices exist. The objective of this work is to validate a new and improved system to assess the drilling resistance of stones. The DFMS is portable and a quasi non-destructive device for direct determination of the "cohesion" of stone materials through the determination of their drilling resistance. The best operational features of the prototype have been established together with the assessment of the sensitivity and reliability of the system.


Metals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastián Feliu

From a technological point of view, measurement of the corrosion rate of magnesium (Mg) and its alloys is critical for lifetime predictions of Mg-based structures and for comparative assessments of their corrosion protection ability. Whilst weight loss, hydrogen evolution, and polarization curves methods are frequently used for measuring the corrosion rate, the determination of values by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is relatively scarce and has only been realized recently. This technique seems to be the most suitable for monitoring corrosion rate values due to its “non-destructive” character, its reproducibility, and its reliable determination of small corrosion rates, much lower than those measured by other techniques. This review aims to picture the state-of-the-art technique of using EIS for measuring the corrosion rate of Mg. This paper starts by introducing some fundamental aspects of the most widely used methods for monitoring the corrosion rate of Mg/Mg alloy and continues by briefly explaining some of the fundamental concepts surrounding EIS, which are essential for the user to be able to understand how to interpret the EIS spectra. Lastly, these concepts are applied, and different approaches that have been proposed to obtain quantitative values of corrosion rate since the 1990s are discussed.


1988 ◽  
Vol 100 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Luzzi ◽  
L. D. Marks ◽  
M. I. Buckett ◽  
J. W. Strane ◽  
B. W. Wessels ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTHigh resolution electron microscope (HREM) studies provide the ability to study desorption and sputtering from the perspective of the analysis of the resultant materials, their structure, composition and atomic registry (orientation with respect to the original,material and the irradiation). This is a neglected facet of surface irradiation effects research, yet it is the most important from the technological point of view. In the current study, surface electron irradiation processes in oxides were studied in-situ in a Hitachi H-9000 HREM operated at incident electron energies of 100–300 keV. It was found that a wide range of processes occur in the HREM which are dependent on the energy and flux of the incident electrons and on the material properties. Both ballistic and electronic irradiation damage was observed and the material responses included surface sputtering, amorphisation, chemical disordering, desorption of O and metal surface layer creation, surface roughening and bulk defect creation.


2003 ◽  
Vol 480 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Perardi ◽  
Lorenzo Appolonia ◽  
Piero Mirti

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Germana Barone ◽  
Paolo Mazzoleni ◽  
Danilo Bersani ◽  
Simona Raneri

AbstractOrigin of gemstones is a key aspect not only in gemological field but also in Cultural Heritage studies, for the correct evaluation of precious artifacts. The studies on gems require the application of non-invasive and non-destructive methods; among them, portable spectroscopic techniques has been demonstrated as powerful tools, providing a fingerprint of gems for origin and provenance determination. In this study, portable XRF spectroscopy has been applied to test the potential of the technique for the origin determination of corundum gems. The obtained results allowed distinguishing natural and synthetic rubies and sapphires.


Author(s):  
Bernd Jürgen Fitzner

Abstract: Stone monuments represent an important part of our world´s cultural heritage. The awareness of increasing stone damage on monuments and the danger of irretrievable loss of cultural heritage have resulted in great efforts worldwide for sustainable monument preservation. A precise damage diagnosis with the comprehensive characterization, interpretation and rating of stone damage represents the basis for effective and economic monument preservation measures. The experienced methodological approach to the assessment of stone damage combines in situ investigation and laboratory studies. The monument mapping method is presented as an established non-destructive procedure for in situ studies on stone damage. It can be applied to all stone types and to all kinds of stone monuments. The use of weathering forms, damage categories and damage indices for the registration, documentation, quantitative evaluation and rating of stone damage is explained. Furthermore, complementary in situ measurements are discussed. A wide range of analytical procedures and weathering simulation tests contribute to modern damage diagnosis on stone monuments.Keywords: damage, stone, monumentsResumo: INVESTIGAÇÃO SOBRE DANOS DO INTEMPERISMO PARA MONUMENTOS EM PEDRA. Os monumentos em pedra representam uma parte importante do patrimônio cultural do mundo. A consciência do aumento dos danos causados ao material pétreo nesses monumentos e o perigo de perda irrecuperável desse património resultaram em grandes esforços a nível mundial para a preservação sustentável desses monumentos. Um diagnóstico preciso de danos com a caracterização, interpretação e avaliação abrangentes desses danos causados às pedras representa a base para a adoção de medidas de conservação eficazes e econômicas. A abordagem metodológica a ser adotada para a avaliação desses danos deve combinar a investigação in situ e estudos laboratoriais. Nessa abordagem o mapeamento de monumentos é apresentado como um procedimento não destrutivo estabelecido para os estudos in situ sobre danos causados às pedras, podendo ser aplicado a todos os tipos de pedra e a todos os tipos de monumentos construídos com a pedra. Nesse trabalho, o uso de formas de intemperismo, categorias de danos e índices de danos para o registro, documentação, avaliação quantitativa e classificação de danos para a pedra é explicado. Além disso, discutem-se medidas complementares a serem adotadas in situ. Uma ampla gama de procedimentos analíticos e testes de simulação de meteorização contribuem para o diagnóstico de danos modernos em monumentos construídos em pedra.Palavras Chave: dano, pedra, monumentos


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245548
Author(s):  
Enrico Zurlo ◽  
Pravin Kumar ◽  
Georg Meisl ◽  
Alexander J. Dear ◽  
Dipro Mondal ◽  
...  

Knowledge of the mechanisms of assembly of amyloid proteins into aggregates is of central importance in building an understanding of neurodegenerative disease. Given that oligomeric intermediates formed during the aggregation reaction are believed to be the major toxic species, methods to track such intermediates are clearly needed. Here we present a method, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), by which the amount of intermediates can be measured over the course of the aggregation, directly in the reacting solution, without the need for separation. We use this approach to investigate the aggregation of α-synuclein (αS), a synaptic protein implicated in Parkinson’s disease and find a large population of oligomeric species. Our results show that these are primary oligomers, formed directly from monomeric species, rather than oligomers formed by secondary nucleation processes, and that they are short-lived, the majority of them dissociates rather than converts to fibrils. As demonstrated here, EPR offers the means to detect such short-lived intermediate species directly in situ. As it relies only on the change in size of the detected species, it will be applicable to a wide range of self-assembling systems, making accessible the kinetics of intermediates and thus allowing the determination of their rates of formation and conversion, key processes in the self-assembly reaction.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document