Multi-Technique Diagnostic Investigation in View of the Restoration of “The Glory of St. Barbara” Painting by Mattia Preti
The present paper illustrates the results of a diagnostic investigation performed on the oil on canvas painting “The Glory of St. Barbara” (1680–1688) by Mattia Preti. The painting is located inside the St. Barbara Church in Taverna (Catanzaro, Italy), the city that gave birth to the artist. In situ, non-invasive studies, by applying X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, along with laboratory micro-destructive analytical investigations, by employing electron probe microanalyses (EPMA) coupled with energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and micro-Raman (µ-Raman) spectroscopy, were combined to retrieve the color palette and identify the painting technique and style of t…
Mechanical properties of nanostructured carbon layers grown by CVD and PLD techniques
Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and chemical vapour deposition (CVD) have been proven to be among the most successful techniques for growing the entire spectrum of carbon films, which can be used in a wide range of technical applications. Here an investigation has been performed to explore the effect of different growing techniques (PLD and CVD) and process parameters (such as deposition time and substrate type) on the films' morphology and mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of the grown thin films were characterised by means of nano/micro indentation and scratch test techniques. It was observed that the thickness of the Al2O3 interlayer (between the Fe catalyst nanoparticles an…