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Analytical Uncertainty of Quantitative Methods Based on IR-spectroscopy for Heritage Material Characterisation

Project description

A closer look at IR spectroscopy for the analysis of heritage materials

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy deals with the IR region of the electromagnetic spectrum, where light has a longer wavelength and lower frequency than visible light. It can be used to identify and study chemicals. Recent applications of near- and mid-IR spectroscopy (combined with chemometrics) provided a step change in the quantitative determination of chemical and physical properties of many heritage materials of organic origin, including their dating. However, there is still the uncertainty of determination. The EU-funded UNCERTIR project will explore the causes of uncertainty and shed light on the analytical uncertainty of quantitative methods, which is important to heritage and users.

Objective

Non-destructive and non-invasive methods of characterisation of heritage materials are increasingly in demand. Recent applications of near- and mid-IR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics provided a step change in the quantitative determination of chemical and physical properties of many heritage materials of organic origin, including their dating. However, the uncertainty of determination could reduce the acceptance of such methods by users. Therefore, UNCERTIR focuses on the analyses of the causes of uncertainty, which could originate in (a) uncertainty of reference analytical data used for method development; (b) large inhomogeneity of material properties typically associated with heritage materials; (c) the contribution of degradation products and changes in heritage material manufacture; and (d) method of spectral data collection as deemed acceptable by the conservation community, often allowing only minimal contact between the probe and the analysed material. The project methodology will be based on numerical evaluation of the contributions to the overall method uncertainty by using separate sample sets of pure model materials and naturally degraded inhomogeneous materials; by comparing different reference analytical methods, e.g. for determination of pH or degree of polymerisation; by application of different methods of statistical evaluation of groups of samples; and by using different methods of collection of spectra. Of particular interest will be methods of dating heritage materials, where significantly different accuracies have been observed for paper, parchment or photographs, the cause of which remains unknown. The project will be of significant importance to heritage and users not only because of the variety of newly developed methods but also because, for the first time, the users will be provided with a comprehensive evaluation of analytical uncertainty.

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

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Coordinator

UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 162 040,32
Address
KONGRESNI TRG 12
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia

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Region
Slovenija Zahodna Slovenija Osrednjeslovenska
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 162 040,32
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