1) The safeguard of Cultural and Environmental Heritage has been
recognised as a national and European priority producing, hence,
an increasing demand of research on new polymeric materials with
performances suitable to be used in the field of the conservation and
restoration,linked to the development and the application of eco-sustainable technologies.Within the specific domain "Textiles", which
deteriorate naturally by oxidation,heat,mechanical stress, radiation and
microbiological and enzymatic attack,polymers act as adhesive,
protective, consolidating agents and/or support.Major effects of the decay
are, in fact,loss of mechanical resistance,decrease of molecular mass,
increase of solubility and oxidation,modifications in cristallinity and
alterations in appearance and hand.Thus essential requirements for
polymers to be used are adhesion,cohesion,flexibility,transparency,
colourless,durability,reversibility and easy and rapid application with
no risks for the operator and environment.
At ICTP water-dispersed polymers based on vinylic, acrylic and urethanic
monomers,till now never used in conservation,have been deeply
characterised and applied on model yarns and textiles consisting of
natural fibres, both cellulosic and protein,before and after artificial
aging under controlled conditions. The morphology of the polymeric films,
formed on fibres surface through water cast at room temperature,following
the application of water dispersions containing different amounts of
polymer,has been investigated and the chromatic and consolidating effects
of such applications, together with the adhesive properties of the
polymers and their photo-oxidative stability,have been determined. The
efficacy of the treatments performed has been compared with that shown by
treatments carried out by using commercial products selected among those
most used,simulating moreover procedures followed by conservators and
restorers.
2) Separation processes constitute a large segment of the transformation
industries.As much,the cost of the separation can be the 80% of the
total processing costs.Moreover the traditional polymeric membranes that
present the disadvantages of a limited chemical and thermal stability and
short life-time can not be used in extreme conditions such as high
temperature and corrosive solvents.Thin films made of ceramic offer new
separation possibilities even if the resulting impact on the capital and
operating costs and energy consumption is high. The final objective of the
project is that to develop ecosustainable polymeric membranes to use in
the field of microfiltration and ultrafiltration even in contact with
food. They present several advantages: chemical and thermal stability and
low cost.In particular the possibility to develop membranes based on
polyphenylene sulfide, a polymer that present chemical and thermal
stability and it is non-toxic.The process of membranes formation is based
on two processes: the formation of blends made of PPS and natural and
synthetic resins followed by a process of degradation and volatilization
of the resins.The advantages and innovation of the proposed preparation
methods in comparison with the conventional methods resides mainly in the
exclusion of solvents and radiations,with consequent reduction of the
process cost and risk for the health.
The project is carried on in cooperation with the Univ.of Naples,Federico
and the industry Eastmond Chemical Co.
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