X-ray tomographic techniques for the study of cultural heritages

In recent years, X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) has become an important tool for investigating all kinds of materials. Due to its non-destructive nature, it is especially suitable to investigate samples that may not be altered or damaged during the course of the investigation. CT has been recently introduced in the field of Cultural Heritage diagnostics, where it can be used for the investigation of different works of art, as it preserves the integrity of the object and gives morphological and physical information on its inner structure. This paper describes a methodological approach on the use of the X-ray CT technique to study items belonging to cultural heritage with the aim to obtain information related to their preservation state and therefore, to plan an adequate conservation and restoration procedure. Significant examples of applications are the study of porosity and pore size distribution and their connectivity for different porous materials and the study of kinetics of capillary fluid absorption in sedimentary rocks. Other applications are relevant to the possibility to investigate in a non-destructive way the presence of defects or fractures inside an object and, not last in order of importance, the possibility to study different typologies of woods or waterlogged woods, the presence of an eventual biodegradation state and the possibility to perform a dendrochronology. In this paper, the results of some case studies, obtained through the integrated use of CT systems with different resolutions, are reported. Other expected future developments will be addressed to the integration of CT data with results of compatible non-destructive techniques.