BIONA4ART · BIO-inspired NAcre-like materials FOR the next generation of conservation treatments in stone ART works
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2019-07-01 → 2022-06-30
- EU contribution
- €245,732
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
BIO-inspired NAcre-like materials FOR the next generation of conservation treatments in stone ART works
Cultural heritage is an incalculable and essential legacy for our future. Its loss would have catastrophic effects for both culture (identity loss) and the economy (considering cultural heritage-related tourism and activities). As a result, the need to conserve and give access to it has become a critical challenge for society. Stone is used in some of the most well-known pieces of our cultural heritage. This stone legacy is constantly subjected to weathering processes as a result of its connection with the environment, an issue that has become critical as natural decay has increased as a result of climate change and the impact of atmospheric pollution. The inherent dilemma with this conservation problem is that no long-term treatments for stone preservation in aggressive environments are now accessible. As a result, there is a rising priority connected with the development of innovative conservation-restoration treatments capable of overcoming the constraints of existing treatments in terms of efficacy, compatibility, and/or durability. The purpose of this MSCA fellowship was to design and develop a novel multilayered coating for the protection of stone heritage inspired by the unique structure of mother-of-pearl (nacre), which provides exceptional mechanical qualities with high fracture toughness to shells. The general goal was to develop and test a sequential layer-by-layer deposition of continuous mineralized layers and a quick assembly between them, with the goal of creating a unique combination of low density, strength, and exceptional resistance to fracture in stone materials.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The degradation of our rich stone cultural heritage (CH) represents an irreversible loss; an issue that has become urgent due to the increase of natural decay caused by climate change and the impact of atmospheric pollution and/or the current use of inappropriate treatments against stone weathering. The main challenge of BIONA4ART project will be to address this issue within an innovative framework in the conservation science: i) the development of a new generation of bioinspired nacre-like composites with self- healing and antimicrobial properties; and ii) its validation as stone conservation treatments with the aid of advanced characterization techniques. Thereby this research is marked by an interdisciplinary approach involving material science, biomaterials, physics, chemistry, petrophysics and CH conservation. In order to develop the proposed research the applicant will acquire new research skills by partnering her with the three specialized institutions involved: the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (supervisor Prof. R. Fort, world-renowned expert in the stone CH conservation), the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) (supervisor: Prof. H. Fairbrother, expert in nanocomposites, environmental implications and applications of nanomaterials), and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P), (supervisor Dr. S. Weber, internationally recognized expert in the use and development of SFM methods to study the underlying physics of nanoscale systems). The new knowledge and transferable skills gained during the project coupled with the opening of an innovative and exciting research line in the stone-CH field, will be an ideal springboard for the applicant´s subsequent career, which is to become a fully independent academic researcher in a top european university.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridCoordinatorSpain
- JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · BaltimoreUnited States
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union