Deposition of Transparent, Hydrophobic TiO₂ Film for the Protection of Outdoor and Marine Cultural Heritage Assets

Fabio Stranges, Marianna Barberio, Pasquale Barone, Andrea Abenante, Andrea Leuzzi, Peppino Sapia, Fang Xu, Assunta Bonanno

Physics Department, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy.
Physics Department, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy;Biology, Ecolgy and Earth Science Department, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy.

DOI: 10.4236/ad.2013.12003                

Abstract

In this work we present two new methods to obtain TiO₂ transparent coverage and to impart superhydro- phobicity to stones and ceramics surface of monuments. The first method, adapted for small artifacts eas- ily transportable in restoration laboratory, consists of a simple evaporation of Ti directly on ceramic sur- face in a controlled oxygen atmosphere. The second method consents the coverage of large surface di- rectly in situ. The TiO₂ is evaporated on a salt surface with desired dimensions and then deposited on ceramic surfaces. In both cases the dioxide layers are transparent, don’t damage the ceramic surfaces and are easily removable. In fact, the dioxide layer can be removed simply by 30 minutes of laser ablation process.

Keywords

Marine Artifacts; Photocatalic Activity; Protection of Cultural Heritage

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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