What can nuclear technology do for artistic, cultural and historical heritage?

Since the discovery of nuclear energy, many applications have been developed, such as the production of electricity, the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, care of the environment, etc. However, one of them is little known, and that is the study, conservation, restoration, disinfection, and authentication of cultural, artistic, and historical heritage.

Cultural, artistic, and historical heritage is understood as objects comprising all kinds of items, such as paintings, clothing, statues, musical instruments, furniture, armor, weapons, mummies, ships, etc., many of which are of incalculable value, and cultural institutions are increasingly beginning to use nuclear techniques to analyze and protect them without causing any damage to the object of study.

Nuclear techniques have been a revolution as they are not only highly sensitive but also do not damage the objects in the process of their study, restoration, disinfection, or authentication. Traditionally, chemical and physical methods have been used for the treatment and restoration of artifacts, but they have drawbacks and limitations: chemical methods may leave undesirable substances in or on the objects, possibly causing further damage to the artifact, the restorers, or the environment, while physical methods may damage the object itself. In contrast, nuclear techniques, such as the use of ionizing radiation, leave no traces on the treated object and cause no damage.

Nuclear analysis techniques, such as accelerator-based techniques, are powerful tools to better understand heritage materials and objects and their conservation. They are applied to analyze the composition of cultural property and determine the time and place of its creation. Scientists can also use nuclear analysis techniques, such as ion beams, X-rays, and neutrons, to create 2D and 3D images of the object with high sensitivity and precision, allowing detailed examination of their internal structure and the materials they are made of.

For the conservation, restoration, disinfection, and authentication of cultural, artistic, and historical heritage, various nuclear techniques can be used, alone or in combination, including those described below:

Characterization: Study of objects

This process not only allows us to know the history of the work or object but also its artist, the environmental conditions of the time, the materials used, chemical composition, etc., but also to determine its age and authenticity. Thanks to this information it is possible to know the condition of the object and what would be the best way to conserve or restore it or to determine whether a work is authentic or a forgery.

This is not a single method, but rather multiple nuclear techniques using different equipment and radiation, such as X-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and ion beams.

Some of the nuclear techniques used in characterization are:

• X-ray fluorescence (XFR), industrial radiography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), computed tomography (CT)
• Radiocarbon or carbon-14 technique
• Gamma rays
• Neutron activation analysis (NAA)

Disinfection and cleaning of cultural heritage

For cultural heritage (statues, books, documents, artistic objects, etc.), exposure to the environment poses a double problem. On the one hand, the progressive loss of fixation suffered by the work due to environmental conditions (humidity, chemical compounds, pollutants, etc.) and, on the other hand, contamination by xylophagous insects (which feed on wood), fungi, etc.

Traditionally, techniques were used that involved chemical or physical processes that could not only damage the object but sometimes did not eradicate the pest. With irradiation, a definitive solution has been achieved that does not cause damage to the object as there is no direct contact between the two.

To find out more, click on the following link: Desinfección y limpieza de obras y objetos históricos con técnicas nucleares

Restoration of cultural heritage objects

Sometimes an object is not only studied and/or disinfected, but also needs to be restored. This is done by irradiation to restore the chemical bonds of the damaged object, thus helping to strengthen and solidify it. This method involves soaking the object or material in a liquid resin and then exposing it to radiation to harden and strengthen it.

Thanks to the consolidation method, the object appears practically intact, however, the material and its physical properties have been transformed in such a way that they have become stronger and denser.

To learn more about the subject, click on the following link:Cómo la radiación puede restaurar un objeto de importancia histórica, artística o cultural

Who performs these techniques?

Each country has its agencies, institutions, and laboratories, but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assists these countries in using nuclear science and technology to examine, preserve,e and restore cultural heritage objects.

Through technical cooperation projects and coordinated research projects, the IAEA has supported national experts by providing them with harmonized and efficient methods to conserve cultural heritage properties. These initiatives also respond to target 4 of Sustainable Development Goal 11: intensify efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage.

The IAEA also supports research in cultural heritage conservation, bringing together world institutes to expand the potential applications of nuclear technologies. In this regard, a Co-ordinated Research Project (CRP) is underway for the development of standardized procedures and the synthesis of new radiation-curable resins. Once completed, the results of the CIP are expected to provide further information on existing techniques of this type and other potential uses.

According to the organization, the advantage of these techniques is that they can be applied to a wide variety of materials and the analysis can be performed non-destructively or with minimal sample invasion.

If you want to know more about nuclear techniques applied to preserve cultural heritage with examples, you can consult this publication of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) entitled: "Uses of Ionizing Radiation for Tangible Cultural Heritage Conservation"