BIOGRAPHY
Oscar Chiantore is member of the Chemistry Department at the University of Torino, Italy, and of the Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS), an inter-departmental centre of the same University. He is retired full professor of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers and through the years he has given courses in the Master degrees of Industrial Chemistry, Chemistry, Materials Science, Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage, Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage. He was promoter and first director of the Structure in Sciences for Conservation, Restoration, Exploitation of Cultural Heritage (SUSCOR) established by the University of Torino at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale”. During all his scientific activity he has developed researches in the field of polymer materials, investigating in particular their ageing processes, degradation mechanisms and the related characterization techniques. Since several years and continuing until now, one main interest is the study of polymer materials used in fabrication and in conservation of works of art and cultural heritage assets in general. This field of investigations has been, and is, carried out also in the framework of national and international projects, seeing fruitful cooperations with Museums and Institutions devoted to Cultural Heritage protection. As particular attention is dedicated to approaches and methodologies for effective and sustainable preventive conservation, investigation on the effects of the volatile organic components (VOCs) present in museum display cases are actively conducted, in connection with the development of methods and techniques for monitoring, analysis and reduction. Oscar Chiantore is fellow of international associations devoted to Museums and conservation issues (ICOM-CC, IIC), and editorial board member of International Journal of Polymer Analysis and characterization, and Journal of Cultural Heritage.
ABSTRACT
Monitoring and sampling methods of volatile organic compounds in museum showcases
Art and historical objects in museum display cases are often responsible for emissions of low molecular compounds, mostly organic in nature and known under the name of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Many of these compounds must be avoided or excluded from the close environment of the case because they may create damages to the objects. Monitoring presence and amount of VOCs in the showcases and knowing the nature of the compounds is therefore of paramount importance. Methods for VOCs sampling from the case interiors will be illustrated, and the possibilities for control of the emissions and their continuous monitoring will be also briefly discussed. After sampling, identification of the emitted volatile compounds is made with gaschromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, a suitable highly sensitive technique.
