Nano-cleaning of frescoes. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

Nano-cleaning of frescoes

07.09.2007

About forty years ago, art restorers began to cover ancient frescoes with transparent acrylic varnishes to protect them from air pollution, exposure to light and oxygen.

The solution seemed perfect. However, after some time problems emerged. The polymers closed the microscopic pores through which the wall "breathed" under the fresco. As a result, moisture began to accumulate under the layer of paint, and salts were deposited, destroying the painting.

Two decades later, the lacquer itself began to collapse - turn yellow, wrinkle. The restorers had to wash off the varnish from the frescoes. But conventional organic solvents are dangerous when working with them and, in addition, they do not penetrate well into the micropores of the plaster.

Italian chemists from the University of Florence have created and successfully tested an aqueous emulsion with droplets of organic solvents up to 10 nanometers across for cleaning frescoes. The content of these solvents in the emulsion is less than one percent, but due to the nano-sized droplets, they perfectly penetrate the pores of the plaster. Not only varnish is removed, but also impurities such as soot from church candles and censers.

<< Back: Mutual understanding between human friends 10.09.2007

>> Forward: Seed Bank in the Arctic 04.09.2007

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The world's tallest astronomical observatory opened 04.05.2024

Exploring space and its mysteries is a task that attracts the attention of astronomers from all over the world. In the fresh air of the high mountains, far from city light pollution, the stars and planets reveal their secrets with greater clarity. A new page is opening in the history of astronomy with the opening of the world's highest astronomical observatory - the Atacama Observatory of the University of Tokyo. The Atacama Observatory, located at an altitude of 5640 meters above sea level, opens up new opportunities for astronomers in the study of space. This site has become the highest location for a ground-based telescope, providing researchers with a unique tool for studying infrared waves in the Universe. Although the high altitude location provides clearer skies and less interference from the atmosphere, building an observatory on a high mountain poses enormous difficulties and challenges. However, despite the difficulties, the new observatory opens up broad research prospects for astronomers. ... >>

Controlling objects using air currents 04.05.2024

The development of robotics continues to open up new prospects for us in the field of automation and control of various objects. Recently, Finnish scientists presented an innovative approach to controlling humanoid robots using air currents. This method promises to revolutionize the way objects are manipulated and open new horizons in the field of robotics. The idea of controlling objects using air currents is not new, but until recently, implementing such concepts remained a challenge. Finnish researchers have developed an innovative method that allows robots to manipulate objects using special air jets as "air fingers". The air flow control algorithm, developed by a team of specialists, is based on a thorough study of the movement of objects in the air flow. The air jet control system, carried out using special motors, allows you to direct objects without resorting to physical ... >>

Purebred dogs get sick no more often than purebred dogs 03.05.2024

Caring for the health of our pets is an important aspect of the life of every dog owner. However, there is a common assumption that purebred dogs are more susceptible to diseases compared to mixed dogs. New research led by researchers at the Texas School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences brings new perspective to this question. A study conducted by the Dog Aging Project (DAP) of more than 27 companion dogs found that purebred and mixed dogs were generally equally likely to experience various diseases. Although some breeds may be more susceptible to certain diseases, the overall diagnosis rate is virtually the same between both groups. The Dog Aging Project's chief veterinarian, Dr. Keith Creevy, notes that there are several well-known diseases that are more common in certain breeds of dogs, which supports the notion that purebred dogs are more susceptible to disease. ... >>

Recyclable printed circuit boards 03.05.2024

Electronics play a key role in today's world, but the accompanying rise in e-waste is putting the environment at risk. In response to this problem, researchers at the University of Washington have developed an innovative technology that could change conventional wisdom about circuit board recycling. A team led by scientists from the University of Washington has created a vitrimer printed circuit board that has the unique ability to be recycled multiple times. Using advanced environmentally friendly polymers, the researchers developed a material that can be turned into a jelly-like substance using a special solvent. This opens the way for PCBs to be reused and recycled without significant loss of quality. Vitrimer printed circuit boards (vPCBs) represent significant advances in environmental sustainability. Unlike conventional plastics, which are susceptible to degradation during repeated recycling, jelly-like vitrimer retains its ... >>

Machine for thinning flowers in gardens 02.05.2024

In modern agriculture, technological progress is developing aimed at increasing the efficiency of plant care processes. The innovative Florix flower thinning machine was presented in Italy, designed to optimize the harvesting stage. This tool is equipped with mobile arms, allowing it to be easily adapted to the needs of the garden. The operator can adjust the speed of the thin wires by controlling them from the tractor cab using a joystick. This approach significantly increases the efficiency of the flower thinning process, providing the possibility of individual adjustment to the specific conditions of the garden, as well as the variety and type of fruit grown in it. After testing the Florix machine for two years on various types of fruit, the results were very encouraging. Farmers such as Filiberto Montanari, who has used a Florix machine for several years, have reported a significant reduction in the time and labor required to thin flowers. ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Robots will take care of parking 23.03.2019

Stanley Robotics will launch a large-scale test service at one of the French airports. The service involves the operation of several self-driving robots that will automatically park the cars of airport customers.

The service will be launched at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry International Airport, located near Lyon, France, in the coming weeks, according to VINCI Airports. The system works like this: customers park their cars in a special hangar; the cars are scanned and then one of the robots (called Stan) "takes" the car and parks it in a suitable place.

According to Stanley Robotics, its system manages to use the parking space much more efficiently than humans. This is partly due to the fact that self-driving robots park cars more accurately, but also due to the fact that the system keeps track of when customers return from a trip (relatively speaking, knowing that the owners of a particular car will not return soon, the robot can "close" it with a number of other cars; by the time the customers return, the robot will release the desired car).

The system will not work for the entire airport parking space - only for one of the six sections. The section, where four Stan robots will work (which, according to the developers, will be able to service up to 200 cars a day), includes 500 parking spaces.

The company has already tested its system at Düsseldorf Airport and at Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport, and plans to test the system at Gatwick Airport in London this year.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews