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.
Publications

Barbera D
(2022)
A methodology for the use of alkyd paint in thermally aged easel painting reconstructions for mechanical testing
in Journal of Cultural Heritage

Wood J
(2019)
Reconstruction of historical temperature and relative humidity cycles within Knole House, Kent
in Journal of Cultural Heritage

Wood J
(2018)
Cracking in paintings due to relative humidity cycles
in Procedia Structural Integrity

Zhang R
(2023)
A numerical model for predicting the time for crack initiation in wood panel paintings under low-cycle environmentally induced fatigue
in Journal of Cultural Heritage

Zhang R
(2023)
A numerical model for predicting the time for crack initiation in wood panel paintings under low-cycle environmentally induced fatigue
in Journal of Cultural Heritage

Zhang R
(2021)
A numerical investigation of interfacial and channelling crack growth rates under low-cycle fatigue in bi-layer materials relevant to cultural heritage
in Journal of Cultural Heritage

Zhang R
(2022)
A Numerical Model for Predicting the Time for Crack Initiation in Wood Panel Paintings Under Low-Cycle Environmentally Induced Fatigue
in SSRN Electronic Journal

Zhang R
(2021)
A numerical investigation of interfacial and channelling crack growth rates under low-cycle fatigue in bi-layer materials relevant to cultural heritage
in Journal of Cultural Heritage
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 | collaboration with V&A |
Organisation | Victoria and Albert Museum |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | We proposed the models we developed in this project could be of use to new studies at V&A related to conservation of plastic artifacts. |
Collaborator Contribution | The museum has provided the background for the need of new potential research. Has also helped to frame the new research questions, what solutions are needed and what the benefit will be for cultural heritage science. |
Impact | Wrote a joint research proposal for further PhD funding from AHRC. Awaiting the final outcome. |
Start Year | 2023 |
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/ |