about the project
about Matlas

structure
structure of the project

budget
programme and funding sources

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MATLAS - ABOUT THE PROJECT

Advanced methods of materials engineering in diagnostics of art works after renovation by means of shaped, high-energy laser radiation pulses (MATLAS)

A unique nature of the works of art and historic objects, which make up the cultural heritage and an invaluable source of information about the history and civilisation of a given region, requires application of such methods for assessing their conditions and of such renovation technologies, which will not result in a worsened state of their surface and ensure a long-term perspective for their further “usage”.

In the search of advanced techniques for the protection and conservation of the material cultural heritage, technologies typically bound up with the materials engineering are deemed ideal ones, as they more and more often refer to the world of the nanotechnology. Also photonics is more frequently applied in the conservation and diagnostics of historic objects and works of art. Photons are an ideal non-contact, sampling and testing tool used in the research on materials.

Pulse and continuous wave lasers offer a possibility to renovate historic objects, however, their safe application in the renovation of the works of art requires further research aimed at increasing their efficiency and minimising the risk of errors. A selective removal of the external layer of pollutions with a minimum interference in the cleaned object is a prerequisite of the success in this type of the laser application.

The MATLAS project is aimed at a development of a universal technology in the area of the renovation of works of art made out of metals or alloys, or objects whose external surfaces contain metals. This technology should allow to precisely clean shape-complicated historic objects with laser. An integral part of the project shall consist in an interdisciplinary verification of the laser cleaning with the participation of experienced specialists in the area of the materials engineering and art restorers specialising in metal or metallic objects. A database which will be created and updated on an on-going basis will make it possible for restorers to choose appropriate methods for diagnosing surfaces and conditions of the renovation.

The project, whose coordination is ensured by the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology, is carried out by four institutions:

	Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering
	Military University of Technology (MUT), Institute of Optoelectronics
	Academy of Fine Arts (AFA), Inter-Academy Institute for Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art
	Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU)