From fundamental crystallization to real-world applications
Our research connects fundamental insights into crystallization with real-world challenges, from protecting cultural heritage against salt damage to developing novel salt-based solutions with industrial partners.
RESILIENT CULTURAL HERITAGE
Salt crystallization poses a major challenge for the preservation of cultural heritage. Our research aims to understand how crystallization causes damage in artworks, historic masonry and other porous materials, and how these processes can be controlled.
Through national and European collaborations, we develop strategies to protect and preserve cultural heritage, ranging from consolidant treatments based on polymerization and sol-gel applications to desalination processes. Our work brings fundamental understanding of crystallization together with practical conservation challenges.
Projects & Collaborations
CHEMBARIDA
Research into effective chemical barriers for protecting porous building materials against rising damp.
CRYSTINART
Investigating how salt crystallization at interfaces contributes to damage in artworks and cultural heritage materials.
KiSaDaMa
Studying the kinetics of salt crystallization and its relationship with mechanical damage in historic masonry.
RILEM 271-ASC
Developing accelerated laboratory tests to assess the durability of materials exposed to salt crystallization.
Industrial Partnerships for Novel Salts
We collaborate with academic and industrial partners to translate fundamental insights into crystallization into practical material solutions. These partnerships explore how the properties and behaviour of salts can be controlled and optimized for real-world applications.
IRONTECH
Exploring advanced multi-mineral approaches for controlling interactions between iron and phytochemicals.
Nobian collaboration
Investigating crystallization-related strategies to understand and prevent the caking of sodium chloride during storage.