Preventive diagnostics, the role of Mapei research

Collaboration with scientists and restorers from Estia allowed to collect and study information on constituent materials and their degradation

Authors

Davide Bandera & Anna Bravo

Mapei

Mapei's Research & Development Centre plays a pivotal role in the Hegra Conservation Project, utilizing advanced diagnostics to analyze and preserve ancient materials. Through collaboration with Estia, Mapei’s Central Analytical Department has conducted in-depth chemical, mineralogical, and structural analyses of samples.

The Research and Development Centre in Milan has often been defined as the “beating heart” of Mapei. Restoration and conservation work on historical buildings has always played a special role in the history and development of scientific expertise of the Central Analytical Department, part of Mapei Corporate Research & Development Centre. Since the beginning of 1990’s, the analytical department supported formulating laboratories in the development of the first products, compatible with materials used in the past, of what is now the consolidated MAPE-ANTIQUE range dedicated to repair and restoration work on historical and architectural heritage.

Mapei's contribution to Hegra Conservation Project is just one of several examples we could mention.

The Hegra Conservation Project aims to assess the conservation status of the Hegra tombs and monuments.

Our Central Analytical Department welcomed this cooperation with the group of experts involved in the Hegra Conservation Project as an opportunity for its scientific growth. Working in close contact with specialists from the restoration field and undertaking the challenge to make chemical and mineralogical analysis of ancient materials from such a distant place enables the Mapei Research & Development laboratories to gain new knowledge. The latter will prove useful for the future development of formulations and the extension of products portfolio, not only in the restoration field. Right from the beginning of this project, Mapei has been working alongside the team of professionals involved, starting with the first site surveys carried out by our colleagues Daniele Sala (Regional Product Line Manager – Building Line) and Andrea Perini (Regional Area Manager, Mapei Group) in conjunction with the restorers from Estia, to take samples of mortars and stone to be analysed.

Hegra Conservation Project aims to assess the conservation status of the Hegra tombs and monuments through close observation, collection of material samples and diagnostic analysis.

Mapei Central Analytical Department is currently part of the scientific team that has the task of gathering information on the constituent materials of the site and their degradation. The samples that had been taken on Hegra site were then distributed to the laboratories involved, according to the type of analysis to be carried out.

In this investigation process Mapei used some of its cutting-edge instruments, ranging from optical and electron microscopes (the latter couple with chemical elemental analysis SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetry (TGA) for mineralogical analysis, right up to spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques (XRF, ICP-OES and IC) for chemical elemental analysis and salts determination.

Until now the Mapei laboratory has received 16 samples, ranging from pieces of stone and soil, salt efflorescence, right on up to small portions of coating. One of the primary objectives of the diagnostic work is to characterise the stone used for the monuments, from both a petrographic and a mineralogical-compositional point of view.

One of the objectives of the analytical work is to characterize the constituent stone from both petrographic and mineralogicalcompositional perspectives

Another important topic is the identification of the salts present both in the stone, where they can form thick crusts on its surface, and in the surrounding ground, one of the causes of material deterioration observed on site. In some cases, restorers were able to find and take small samples of coating: in these cases identifying the stratigraphy and layer composition is important to properly design restoration work. Mapei Central Analytical Department also received samples of soil with the specific aim to design repairing mortars and grouts as compatible as possible with the existing constituent materials.

Authors

Davide Bandera & Anna Bravo

Mapei

Product Lines

Products for renovation and restoration