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- Author or Editor: B. H. Stuart x
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Summary Many of Sydney’s heritage buildings and monuments were built as a result of the first European settlement in the 1800s. These buildings not only display the richness of the Australian culture, but also capture the architectural and historical values of its past. Although many of these buildings still appear to be strong and sound, many signs of deterioration have been detected in recent years. Conservators from various disciplines such as science, architecture and engineering are working closely together to develop suitable solutions to stop or at least slow down the degradation process of these precious buildings. This study demonstrates the usefulness of thermal analysis in determining the weathering mechanisms of marble and sandstone taken from two of Sydney’s landmarks, the Captain Arthur Phillips Monument at Sydney’s Botanic Gardens and Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral. This paper reports the findings of the weathering behaviours of both marble and sandstone samples determined using thermal analysis techniques.
Abstract
The potential of thermogravimetric analysis (TG) as a tool for the characterisation of ochre paint used in indigenous Australian bark paintings has been investigated. TG has been combined with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and mass spectrometry (MS) to identify and quantify the main inorganic and organic components present in the paints. The results obtained were supported by comparison with infrared spectra and XRD data obtained for the same specimens. The potential of thermal methods for the characterisation ochres has been demonstrated, with subtle differences between small samples being able to be identified.
Abstract
The mechanism and stability of dimethylol urea (DMU) to polycondensation were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectroscopy (TG-MS) for evolved gas analysis and a non-isothermal model-free induction period kinetic analysis using three temperature functions; the Arrhenius function and two non-Arrhenian functions. The polycondensation was observed to occur through a two-step process of condensation followed by elimination of formaldehyde during structural rearrangement as has been reported in the literature. The rate equations for each temperature function were evaluated and extrapolated to room (23 °C) and refrigerator (4 °C) temperature to estimate the length of the induction period for the onset of polycondensation for storage life prediction. Based on experience, estimates of the length of the induction periods and, hence, storage life, were most realistically predicted by the non-Arrhenian temperature functions.
