Ilaria Costantini

Ilaria Costantini

PhD Researcher

PhD in Scientific Cross-Disciplinary Approaches to Heritage and Landscape
Faculty of Science & Technology

Born in 1985, I graduated in Science and Technology for the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (maximum grade cum laude) in the University of Parma in Italy. This degree has the aim to form the professional figure of Conservation Scientist of Cultural Heritage. I obtained an International Doctorate in the Dept. of Analytical Chemistry (IBeA Group, UPV/EHU) within the Interdisciplinary scientific strategies for heritage and landscapes program. In that period, my research was focused on the characterization of mural paintings materials such as pigment, binders and construction materials by means portable and benchtop spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, Raman, XRF) supported by complementary analytical systems (XRD and SEM). In particular, my investigation was concerned the assessment of the chemical deterioration phenomena that affect the raw materials, caused by natural (temperature, humidity, biodeterioration processes etc.) and anthropogenic factor (acid attack of atmospheric pollutants etc.). Indeed, the study of secondary products, by means (characterization and quantitative study of saline efflorescence) is an essential step to know the causes that have generated them and to choose the better conservation strategy. A part of my PhD thesis was about the design, performance and application of a non-invasive ammonium sensor for the monitoring of the impact of this reactive cation on building materials. It consists in a microfluidic system where an ionic liquid in the form of ionogel used as support to contain a reagent substance. This microfluidic device was addressed as a patent (accepted patent 201930628). I got a postdoctoral contract at the University of the Basque Country (2019/ongoing) during which I continue the investigation of the state of conservation of different kind of artworks participating in several research projects.