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Innovative Materials and Methods for Cultural Heritage Preservation

A Special Issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417) belonging to the section "Materials Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2027 | Viewed by 251

Editor


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Guest Editor
Arheoinvest Centre, Department of Science, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 11 Carol I Blvd, 700506 Iasi, Romania
Interests: cultural heritage; environmental protection; forensic science; materials science and engineering; scientific investigation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is dedicated to the latest scientific and technological advances applied in the preservation, restoration, protection and valorization (display, valorization and hoarding) of tangible cultural heritage. The practical aspects of the Science of Conservation of Cultural Heritage Artifacts focus on the protection of historical monuments, works of art and archeological sites, which require advanced solutions, capable of combating physical deterioration and chemical degradation, without affecting the authenticity of the original materials. Manuscripts will be accepted that bring together interdisciplinary research focused on the development of nanomaterials, ecological biomaterials and smart coatings for the consolidation and cleaning of historical surfaces. Special attention is also paid to non-destructive diagnostic methods, high-resolution digital imaging techniques and real-time structural monitoring through IoT sensors. These modern approaches minimize the risks of intervention and enable long-term preventive preservation strategies. Special attention is paid to works that explore the synergy between chemistry, physics, biology, materials science and engineering, environmental science and engineering and art theory and history, offering sustainable solutions for adapting heritage to current climate challenges. The publication is addressed to researchers, restorers and museum professionals who want to implement innovative and safe methodologies in saving the global cultural heritage.

Prof. Dr. Ion Sandu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cultural heritage
  • nanomaterials for preservation and restoration
  • sustainable biomaterials
  • non-destructive methods
  • 3D scanning and imaging
  • preventive preservation (climatization)
  • active preservation (insectofungicization, fireproofing, hydrophobicization, hydrothermal stabilization, dimensional stabilization, etc.)
  • structural monitoring
  • deterioration of the physical condition of structural-functional elements
  • degradation of historical materials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 4630 KB  
Article
Synergistic Removal of Iron Sediments from Marine-Excavated Ceramics in the Nanhai No. 1 Shipwreck via a TDO-MEA and Micro-Nano Bubble System
by Ruyi Wang, Xin Wan and Xiangna Han
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(18), 9179; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16189179 - 16 Sep 2026
Viewed by 114
Abstract
Ceramic artifacts excavated from the Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck exhibit dense iron sediments that are mechanically interlocked with the glaze, posing significant challenges for traditional corrosive chemical cleaning. Here, we engineered a near-neutral physicochemical synergistic cleaning system utilizing Micro-Nano Bubbles (MNBs) water and [...] Read more.
Ceramic artifacts excavated from the Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck exhibit dense iron sediments that are mechanically interlocked with the glaze, posing significant challenges for traditional corrosive chemical cleaning. Here, we engineered a near-neutral physicochemical synergistic cleaning system utilizing Micro-Nano Bubbles (MNBs) water and monoethanolamine (MEA)-activated thiourea dioxide (TDO). This work enables near-neutral TDO activation to circumvent alkaline-induced glaze corrosion, while broadening the utility of MNBs from conventional desalination to the physicochemical removal of recalcitrant iron sediments. Multi-scale characterizations, including NTA, EPR, XRD, ICP-OES, and SEM-EDS, were employed to optimize formulations, elucidate mechanisms, and validate efficacy on authentic shards. Results indicated that the optimal formulation (2 wt% TDO/0.1 wt% MEA) maintained safe operating range pH (6.0–8.0) over 3 h. Mechanistically, MEA activated TDO to generate reactive radicals, driving the efficient reductive dissolution of Fe(III) oxides. Crucially, MNBs collapse-induced micro-turbulence significantly enhanced mass transfer into rust fissures, increasing total iron dissolution by 19.7% compared to conventional aqueous solutions. Application on authentic artifacts successfully eradicated Iron Sediments with the glaze integrity well preserved. Ultimately, this facile and highly effective strategy provides a minimally destructive technological framework for the broad conservation and subsequent utilization of underwater cultural heritage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials and Methods for Cultural Heritage Preservation)
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