Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to engineering students to attend the 2012 Iron & Steel Preservation Conference in Lansing, Michigan, March 5-6.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has just released a video on the preservation of the Tomb of the Unknowns. The work to repair and preserve the Tomb is underway this week.
Beginning in the Fall of 2007, the National Park Service, NCPTT, and other partner organizations, including the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), the National [...]
Close your eyes and imagine yourself exploring a centuries-old, gothic Parisian cathedral that was once the site of a battle during the French Revolution. Now open your eyes—and log onto your computer where your video game guides you through the churches’ twists and turns and allows you to clearly identify architectural styles, symbols on grave [...]
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In the wake of recent oil spills, many in the public sector recognized a need for concise, reliable information to protect cultural heritage from the long-term effects of crude oil. In particular, government officials, archeologists, and preservation professionals wanted to know the risks associated with crude oil contamination on buried and submerged archeological objects and [...]
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In 2004, the Department of Veteran Affairs National Cemetery Administration turned to NCPTT when it wanted advice on chemical cleaners for their marble headstones. This began and partnership and extensive research on the subject of commercially available cleaners for removing biological growth and general soiling from marble headstones.
This week, NCPTT’s Mary Striegel reported the results [...]
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm EDT
Theresa Anne Voellinger, Paper/Photograph Conservator, Harpers Ferry Center, National Park Service will join us to discuss the Connecting to Collections Online Community’s Featured Resource for August – the online video series Cold Storage: A Long-Term Preservation Strategy for Film-Based Photographic Materials.
To join these events, go to http://www.connectingtocollections.org/ and visit the meeting room.
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The effects of oil spills in terrestrial and marine environments are a growing concern globally, but understanding and mitigating these effects is a top priority at NCPTT.
Bone is a material with which most of us are familiar. Bone is made up of a combination of proteins: minerals like calcium and potassium: and vitamins. Bones are [...]
The major goals of this project involved: laboratory set-up; synthesis of Ca(OH) 2 nano- particles; cordage sample acquisition; development of a research design; preliminary testing of solutions and solvents; mechanical and aging studies; analytical characterization; imaging and data collection; and report preparation. The project has demonstrated that aqueous dispersions of calcium hydroxide nano-particles are not an appropriate treatment for archaeological cordage because the cordage swells when treated with water. The study has shown that 2-propanol as a carrier solvent for Calcium hydroxide nano-particles does not swell cordage fibers or inhibit the migration of nano-particles into the matrix, while increasing the pH of the cordage. The results of this funded project suggest that calcium hydroxide nano-particle solutions in isopropyl alcohol is promising as a conservation treatment for archaeological cordage. This study has also confirms that storage that offers the most confinement and immobilization will further reduce damage from handling.
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The NCPTT 2010 Annual Report outlines research, training, and grant activities undertaken by the Center during FY2010.
NCPTT advances the application of science and technology to historic preservation. Working in the fields of archeology, architecture, landscape architecture and materials conservation, the Center accomplishes its mission through training, education, research, technology transfer and partnerships.
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Researchers at NCPTT are discovering new treatments for historic stone conservation with the help of Hybrid Plastics, the University of Southern Mississippi, and a grant from the National Science Foundation. The team is developing new stone strengtheners, also called consolidants, based on the latest advances in polymer science. The National Science Foundation is awarding the [...]
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