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This Research Unit is very young (practically 5 years of activity) and the main achievements were distributed between two main areas, the
assemblage of facilities to work with glass and the ongoing glass research applied to art, conservation-restoration and archaeometry.
The main achievements are summarized as follows:
- New luminescent glasses under UV light with rare earths using glass formulations from the Portuguese industry were developed. (oxides
of Ce, Sm, Dy, Eu, Tb and Tm gave 6 different colours). 50 kg were already produced in CRISFORM, the Glass Education Centre of
Marinha Grande. Mixed compositions of different colours were made and a patent is under preparation.
- The quenching of the luminescence of the previous glasses with several d-transition elements was studied having in mind the use of
paints mixed with luminescent glass powders in the restoration of objects to identify further by UV light the parts where intervention
occurred.
- Ruby Glass is being studied using gold nano particles. Recent results showed that with active electrons produced in a Cobalt-60 gamma
radiation source in the Portuguese Nuclear and Technological Institute it was possible to reduce and nucleate gold, a red colour being
obtained.
- Tiles with luminescent glazes were produced and collaboration with industry is underway for their application.
- For the first time a systematic study of the provenance of Portuguese glasses was made.
The XVIII century glass fragments of the “Real Fábrica de Vidros Coina” were characterized and collaboration was established with the
Museum of the City Council of Marinha Grande and the Museum Reserve of the City Council of Barreiro.
- The stained glass windows of the Monastery of Batalha were studied and the influence of several metal oxides in the glass corrosion was
investigated using model glasses. Ion-beam techniques using the Van de Graaf accelerator of the Portuguese Nuclear and Technological
Institute were used. Collaboration with Prof. Joost Caen from the University of Antwerp was established.
- The set up of a glass studio. A furnace for melting 200 kg designed by the Portuguese glass industry was tested. It proved to work well
as demonstrated running a workshop with 15 students from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Lisbon University, directed by Michael Taylor, a
professor and artist from Rochester Institute of Technology. A lampworking bench was set up for teaching and actually is used to support
various Departments of the FCT-UNL on scientific glass blowing. A cold shop to process glass was also set up.
- In September 2005 VICARTE organized a very successful International Conference, "Glass Science, in Art and Conservation", that had a
strong media coverage. Speakers from The Corning Museum of Glass, Harvard University, MET, Victoria & Albert Museum, Stazione
Sperimentale del Vetro (Murano), and many other reference institutions in glass science and conservation, were face to face with material
scientists, chemist and glass artists. Again the melting of Science and Art was the underlying principle. The impact and welcome of this
idea went far behind the organizers expectations, all participants were tremendously enthusiastic, and the feed back was very positive. As
a consequence, it was decided that the International Conference, "Glass Science, in Art and Conservation" should continue, in a biannual
base, and the 2nd was organized in Valencia 2008, GLASSAC-08, by the Institut de Ciència dels Materials. |
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