Conservation and Restoration of Metals
Code
12250
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Department
Departamento de Conservação e Restauro
Credits
6.0
Teacher in charge
Emanuela Sara Hanson Leite Fragoso, Inês Alexandra Ramalho Coutinho
Weekly hours
5
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
This Curricular Unit will promote the practice of conservation and restoration treatments (e.g. cleaning, stabilization and chromatic reintegration) in metal based Heritage objects, built on a discussion of the ethical principles of the profession in relation to specific case studies, as well as the application of documentation methodologies.
In this way, it is intended to develop in the student the ability to evaluate:
-the conservation condition of a cultural object - differences between deterioration and damage; creation and completion of evaluation grids for metal degradation problems; signs of active corrosion;
-the direct and indirect cause(s) of physical degradation of a metal object;
-the consequences of past interventions on the metallic object and its initial objectives;
-objectives and risks associated with the intervention it proposes.
To select and justify:
-the materials and procedures to be used in the intervention based on the acquired knowledge - discussion between objectives and intervention limits in each case;
And autonomy:
-In practice of a conservation and restoration treatment in a test or heritage object.
Subject matter
The student will perform the material and technological analysis of his case study, including the evaluation of the original surface and previous interventions. The student will be given the basic knowledge of intervention, including: mechanical and chemical cleaning; physical stabilization - mechanical joints, welds, polymeric consolidators; chemical stabilization - salt extraction, chemical reduction, chemical cleaning, complexation of contaminants; protective agents - sacrificial anodes and types of polymer coatings. The decision-making tools will be promoted on the realization of intervention proposals against the specific objectives and risks inherent in the operations. The capacity for practical application of intervention methodologies and preventive conservation measures will be promoted.
-Understanding the relevance of documentation in the conservator-restorer professional practice;
-Condition assessment of metal objects: material and technological analysis, evaluation of degradation problems, original surface and previous interventions;
-Basic concepts of intervention applied to the metal heritage: cleaning; chemical stabilization - salt extraction, chemical reduction, solvation (chemical cleaning), physical stabilization - mechanical joints, welds, polymeric consolidators, filling methodologies; complexation of contaminants; protection agents - indirect and direct - sacrificial anodes and types of polymer coatings;
-Methodologies of decision-making;
-Definition and production of intervention proposal;
-Practical application of intervention methodologies to the metal heritage;
-Application of recommendations of preventive conservation measures to the metal based heritage: environmental conditions for storage and exhibition; preparation of packaging for transport.
Bibliography
M. Ancient & Historic Metals Conservation and Scientific Research, Proceedings of a Symposium Organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute November 1991, ed. A. Scott; Jerry Podany and Brian B. Considine, Electronic Edition, The J. Paul Getty Trust, 2007
Scott, D.A. Metallography and Microstructure of Ancient and Historic Metals, Santa Monica 1991
Stambolov, T. The corrosion and conservation of metallic antiquities and works of art - a preliminary survey, Amsterdam 1985
Corrosion inhibitors in conservation: The Proceedings of the conference held by UKIC in association with the Museum of London, London 1985
Selwyn, L. Metals and Corrosion-A Handbook for Conservation Professional, Ottawa 2004.
Kamal J. K., Shyam, N., Iron artifacts history, metallurgy, corrosion and conservation, Delhi 2009.
Evaluation method
The theoretical program of this curricular unit is presented in an expositive form of the subjects using projected images; the theoretical-practical program includes discussion of proposals for intervention in the light of the problems, objectives and risks of operations, taking into account the ethical directives of the profession; the practical program includes supplementary training exercises for intervention methodologies on sacrificial objects prior to application to cultural objects.
The evaluation includes the test (25%) + diagnostic report and intervention proposal (25%) + intervention report and presentation and discussion of the intervention (50%). The final classification results from the weighted average of these two evaluation elements.