Cultural Heritage Conservation, Characterisation of Painting Materials and Their Alteration
A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Cultural Heritage and Protective Coatings".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 27 May 2027 | Viewed by 85
Editors
Interests: railway stations; railway heritage; social housing architecture sustainable materials; building materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: environmental engineering; sustainability; hydraulic behaviour; material characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Coating materials play a crucial role in the conservation, protection, and interpretation of cultural heritage assets. From historical plasters, mortars, and renders to decorative finishes, paints, and protective coatings, these materials contribute significantly to both the aesthetic and functional performance of built heritage. However, their long-term durability is increasingly threatened by environmental exposure, aging processes, pollution, and climate change.
This Special Issue will collect high-quality research focused on the characterization, diagnosis, and understanding of coating materials used in cultural heritage, as well as the processes governing their alteration and degradation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the physico-chemical properties, microstructural behavior, and performance evolution of traditional and modern coatings under diverse environmental conditions.
We welcome contributions addressing experimental, analytical, and modelling approaches that support the conservation, restoration, and sustainable maintenance of heritage surfaces. Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Characterization of historical coatings, plasters, mortars, and surface finishes;
- Analytical techniques (e.g., SEM, XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy) applied to heritage materials;
- Degradation mechanisms of coating materials (weathering, salt crystallization, pollution, biological growth);
- Aging processes and durability of traditional and modern coatings;
- Compatibility between repair materials and original substrates;
- Development and testing of conservation-compatible coatings;
- Nanomaterials and advanced coatings for heritage protection;
- Moisture transport, permeability, and hygrothermal performance;
- Surface treatments and protective coatings for historic substrates;
- Monitoring and diagnosis of coating deterioration;
- Sustainable and reversible materials for conservation practices.
Particular attention will be paid to interdisciplinary approaches bridging material science, conservation science, and architectural heritage research. Both laboratory-based studies and in situ investigations are encouraged, as well as review papers and comparative analyses.
By advancing knowledge on the behavior and preservation of coating materials, this Special Issue will contribute to the development of more effective, compatible, and sustainable conservation strategies for preserving cultural heritage.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Aurora Martínez-Corral
Prof. Dr. María-Elena Rodrigo-Clavero
Guest Editors
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. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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 conservation
- coating materials
- surface finishes
- plasters and mortars
- material characterization
- degradation mechanisms
- weathering processes
- durability
- compatibility
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