The Mechanisms of Fatigue in Viscoelastic Multi-layer Paint Systems on Wood

Lead Research Organisation: Imperial College London
Department Name: Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
 
Description We have built up data that shows at what temperatures and humidities the paintings held at the Knole House, National Trust have been exposed to. We have published three journal publications on this topic and a fourth one is under preparation. We have developed models which can be used to predict when and how cracks through the thickness and along paint layers will form as a result of the fluctuating environmental conditions for canvas paintings and wood panels, and we have made our computer subroutine available to the public
Exploitation Route Will help museums and art institutions to evaluate the risk to the integrity of precious works of art. The work is also relevant to industries such as paints and coating manufacturers with whom we collaborated (Akzo Nobel) during this project and showed proof of concept. We are hoping that this will lead to further collaborations in the future.
Sectors Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Environment,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
 
Title Model for predicting crcak growth due to fatigue 
Description A subroutine was developed which enables other researchers to calculate crack initiation and growth due to fatigue loading. This is made available to anyone who requests it though contacting us directly via email. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - in vitro 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Will enable others to benefit from our work. The model is generic and it can be applied to problems outside art heritage. 
 
Title Environmental Data 
Description Built up environment (temperature and humidity) data from the 17th century onwards through recent existing data and extrapolations using data held by the Meteorological Office. These data are useful as they are a record of the environment that the paintings at the Knole House, National Trust have been subjected to. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact These data are useful as they are a record of the environment that the paintings at the Knole House, National Trust have been subjected to. 
 
Title Modelling Crack Growth due to Environmental Fatigue 
Description This subroutine can be used in conjunction with the commercially available Finite Element Analysis software Abaqus to give predictions for the crack initiation time in works of art as a result of fluctuating relative humidity. 
Type Of Material Computer model/algorithm 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Our models are applicable to other painted or coated cultural heritage objects and can be used to inform preservation and environmental control strategies. 
URL https://www.impastow.gla.ac.uk/modelling-fatigue/
 
Description Collaboration with Cranfield University 
Organisation Cranfield University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Have just started a collaboration with Cranfield university with a view to help each other in common research areas associated with cracking in coatings. We envisage common publications arising from this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution Had a joint meeting, gave a presentation to the collaborating team who also did the same to identify common ground for collaboration.
Impact No specific output yet.
Start Year 2018
 
Description collaboration with Tate 
Organisation Tate
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We are currently exploring the use of our research to conservation of art paintings held by Tate
Collaborator Contribution We are discussing possible collaborative funding to extend our research for more complex environmental conditions
Impact Collaboration has only just started, too early for outcomes
Start Year 2020
 
Description Imperial Festival 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Imperial Festival is an annual event which showcases Imperial's research with the aim to inform the general public of important advancements made in our field. It also aims to inspire future generations to pursue a career in STEM. We demonstrated and talked about the importance of cracks in previous works of art and how our research aims to advise museums and conservators on their safe storage and display for future generations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Inaugural Lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Presented this project work in my inaugural lecture on 12 February 2020. The talk was carefully prepared so that it could be aimed at the non specialist as well those working in the field. Approximately 250 people attended the lecture with almost 1000 views so far for the online recording on YouTube.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL http://bit.ly/MariaCharalambides20
 
Description Mechanics of Art Conservation 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact An online workshop was organised together with the collaborators at University of Glasgow and it was attended by over 200 participants. Both Principal Investigators from Glasgow and Imperial gave seminars disseminating this project research to a very large audience. The programme included speakers from National Trust, Polish Academy of Sciences, Canadian Conservation Institute, Eindhoven University of Technology and Historical Royal Palaces.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.impastow.gla.ac.uk/online-workshop/
 
Description Outreach 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Imperial Festival 2017 was held on 5- 7 May 2017 was a highly successful event. Its aim was to make a considerable contribution towards societal
engagement at Imperial. It attracted tens of thousands of crowds and was attended by children and adults alike. The work arising from this funded project was showcased in order to show the relevance of engineering on the design of pharmaceutical patches and on conservation of art paintings.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.imperial.ac.uk/festival/feedback/
 
Description UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact The event celebrated six significant cultural archives joining the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register, including a Tudor choir book and records of Antarctic exploration. The UK Register is run on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. WE run a stall to showcase how our work aims to conserve important pieces of art for future generations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/188268/imperial-hosts-event-mark-artefacts-joining/