Missions

Within the framework of the project "Green Strategies to Conserve the Past and Preserve the Future of Cultural Heritage" (GoGreen) funded by the European Commission (G.A. no. 101060768), a European consortium is developing new restoration treatments for heritage objects. The CNRS activity concerns in particular the development of methodologies for assessing the impact of these treatments.

The postdoctoral project will focus on the development of innovative methodologies for the evaluation of the surface condition and consolidation of historic glass materials. The work will involve physicochemical understanding of the materials, study of their mechanical properties, experimentation and analysis of 3D numerical data. The project will aim to assess certain cracking mechanisms and to evaluate the impact of consolidation processes through the application of consolidation products, in particular silica-based products developed by IIT in Venice. The aim is that these new treatments should be effective while minimising the amount of material used and their impact on the environment. These new treatments will aim to be compatible with the glassy substrate to be consolidated and will be developed based on green practices (use of green raw materials, absence of toxicity for operators and the environment). The project will rely on state-of-the-art approaches specifically adapted to the 3D study of heterogeneous and complex heritage systems, such as semi-quantitative phase-contrast X-ray micro- and nanotomography, whose coupling with statistical data processing has recently been published by the Paris-Saclay teams (J. Li et al., Analytical Chemistry, 2019; C. Reynaud et al., PNAS, 2020). The data will be processed by statistical approaches incorporating some a priori knowledge, in order to assess more directly the physical effectiveness of the treatments, and through simple mechanical failure models. The approaches can be tested on other systems of interest to the consortium, notably paint layers. They will be compared to conventional analytical techniques.

Activités

- Developing innovative methodologies for the evaluation of the surface state and consolidation of historical materials
- Characterise the physicochemical and mechanical properties of materials through different 3D analysis approaches
- Evaluate the impact of consolidation processes through the application of organic consolidation products
- Analyse and interpret the results
- Communicate on the achievements
- Publish and communicate the results obtained
- Report on the progress of the work carried out: presentations, reports, in particular for the European Commission and the project partners

Compétences

We are looking for a motivated and academically curious candidate with a PhD and a good knowledge of physical chemistry, physics or mechanics, with a strong interest in the processing and interpretation of scientific imaging data. The candidate should have a good understanding of physical characterisation methods. A knowledge of or strong interest in the field of heritage will be appreciated. The project requires an appetite for teamwork and interaction with researchers from different disciplines and cultural backgrounds, in a European context.

Contexte de travail

The project will be co-supervised by Loïc Bertrand (PPSM, UMR8531) and Emmanuel Baranger (LMPS, UMR9026). The post-doctoral fellow will be mainly located at the PPSM laboratory within the new campus of ENS Paris-Saclay where he/she will integrate the "ancient and paleo-inspired materials" theme, in collaboration with the LMPS. The PPSM is a laboratory that focuses on molecules and materials that can be stimulated by light or electrons and that brings together expertise ranging from the synthesis of new compounds to the development of innovative instrumentation. The LMPS is a research unit dedicated to experimentation, modelling and simulation in solid mechanics. The project will be conducted in close collaboration with Roberta Zanini and Arianna Traviglia (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Venice) and Serge Cohen (IPANEMA). The project may involve a stay in one or other of these institutions.

Contraintes et risques

Some experiments may be carried out outside working hours, particularly on large instruments. The candidate is likely to travel abroad (Europe, USA) to carry out experiments or report on his/her work. Participation in the European project requires contribution to regular reports.

Informations complémentaires

The post-doctoral fellowship is part of the project "Green Strategies to Conserve the Past and Preserve the Future of Cultural Heritage" (GoGreen) funded by the European Commission (G.A. no. 101060768, 2022–2026).