Carbon Nanotubes based Intelligent Mobile Accurate Thermo-Electrical mild heating device for art conservation

The creation of new advanced conservation materials and sophisticated “smart” instrumentation is of fundamental importance in the process of advancing best practices in the profession and preserving artworks and other cultural heritage assets. Sophisticated and accurate instrumentation allows conservators to design new treatments and to treat artworks within the margins of minimal intervention and risk, while achieving the maximum result. The mild heating technologies and devices available to conservators are limited in terms of their versatility and mobility; are expensive and are lacking a whole range of operational features to become truly versatile and mobile tools for diverse conservation treatments in all areas of the field. The present work deals with the creation of a Carbon Nanotubes-based Intelligent Mobile Accurate Thermo-Electrical mild heating device consisting of a new highly accurate, versatile and mobile “smart” mild heating technology and device, designed for specific use in art conservation with extraordinary mild heating properties made possible with the innovative, yet-to-be-created, highly conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) materials. To invent a new mild heating technology for art conservation the application of carbon nanotubes has been investigated. The work focus on their thermal and electrical properties that offer new opportunities to design radically new accurate mobile mild heating technology and devices - in the form of flexible mat heaters - with desirable qualities for art conservation. Such heating mats fitted with the to-be-designed sensors and controls could be designed in ultra-thin, transparent, and woven forms, and may be designed as permeable to gases membranes to permit the migration of vapours and airflow so often used in combination with mild heating in treatments.