Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects with Multifunctional Advanced Materials

Abstract

The FP7 funded project HEROMAT started in November 2011 and will last for 48 months. The aim of the project is to develop innovative and environmental friendly materials that have chemical and mechanical properties tailored with respect to the protection of immovable cultural heritage assets. Through knowledge exchange among members of the international team of experts, the multidisciplinary research will offer new solutions for protection and consolidation of cultural heritage objects by the development of innovative protective materials: self-cleaning coatings, anti-microbial coatings and consolidants with or without hydrophobic properties, which will be effective for different categories of cultural heritage objects. This project aims to contribute to an efficient and long-lasting solution for the prevention of degradation, keeping the authenticity, functionality and the aesthetic appearance of the cultural assets and remaining their socio-economic benefits. The Pan-European project team coming from Serbia, Slovenia, Italy, UK and Russia, cross-links the experts and focusses their work on the restoration and consolidation of two selected historical objects, one located in an urban (Ba Fortress, Serbia) and the other in a rural (Manor in Dornava, Slovenia) environment, both having continental climate. The targeted surfaces are inorganic mineral substrates of cultural heritage objects: stone, brick, mortar, render and color finishing layers.