The main objectives of the project are to define advantages and limits of innovative protective treatments and to standardize a specially adapted electrochemical methodology for assessing their effectiveness in comparison with treatments nowadays used. Among the different treatments tested, a human- and eco-friendly biological treatment which creates protective patinas on copper artefacts will be evaluated. This project will contribute to a better conservation-restoration of metallic artefacts by means of the advance in the application of electrochemical techniques and to extend the knowledge on efficacy of biological interventions. Through this, the overall idea is to enhance research in the field of metal conservation-restoration promoting a dialogue among conservators and scientists, to encourage the use of electrochemical techniques as well as new treatments based on clear scientific and ethical criteria (efficiency, harmless, respect of the aesthetic and historical values) and to enhance conservation activities in their social and economical aspects with the development of ready-to-use treatment kit for conservators-restorers. The following aspects will be investigated:
- Selection and characterization of metal standards to be used,
- Definition of the human- and eco-friendly innovative treatments and identification of the best conditions of application,
- Evaluation upon ageing of the developed method on standards coupons and comparison with the most commonly used treatments.
- Standardization of an electrochemical methodology for in situ assessment.
The analytical results will be integrated within a publication in Corrosion science, including a footnote, such as “This research has been carried out with the support of the European Union, within the VII Framework Program (Contract 262584: JERICO).The authors acknowledge the CNR ISMAR for access time to the experimental marine station”.