U.S.-Germany Cooperative Research on Preservation of Historic Stained Glass

该奖项支持William A.Lanford和纽约州立大学奥尔巴尼分校的一名研究生与德国维尔茨堡弗劳恩霍夫玻璃研究所的Dieter R.Fuchs和其他人合作研究玻璃的表面化学。他们研究的科学目标是提高对导致玻璃腐蚀的机制的理解。这需要复杂的化学和物理分析技术来表征暴露在水和气体中的玻璃表面的状态。合作的弗劳恩霍夫研究所拥有世界级的传统玻璃化学设施。在其他活动中，这家德国集团目前正积极参与研究，为保护历史悠久的彩色玻璃的处理提供可靠的基础。他们已经开发了一些玻璃成分作为适当实验的测试模型，并正在研究各种涂层，以保护旧玻璃不会进一步变质。纽约州立大学奥尔巴尼分校加速器实验室的美国团队为合作带来了核反应分析的特殊专业知识和设备，以及表面表征所需的各种光谱方法。他们还将参与最初用于微电子工业的新涂层的实验分析。这项研究的结果将增加对玻璃表面化学反应的了解，这是一个在工业和日常生活中具有不同意义的课题。拟议的合作研究将通过德国研究所参与北约赞助的关于这一主题的项目，立即对当前保护历史彩色玻璃的国际努力作出贡献。声音保护工作需要尽可能完整地了解导致这些玻璃腐蚀的机制。

This award supports William A. Lanford and a graduate student of the University at Albany, SUNY, to collaborate in studies of the surface chemistry of glass with Dieter R. Fuchs and others of the Fraunhofer Institute for Glass Research in Wurzburg, Germany. The scientific goal of their research is to improve understanding of the mechanisms leading to the corrosion of glasses. This requires sophisticated techniques of chemical and physical analysis to characterize the state of the glass surface as it is changed by exposure to water and gases. The collaborating Fraunhofer Institute has world class facilities for traditional glass chemistry. Among other activities, the German group is currently very involved in research to provide a sound basis for treatments to conserve historic stained glass. They have developed some glass compositions to use as test models for appropriate experiments, and are working on various coatings to protect old glasses from further deterioration. The U.S. team at the Accelerator Laboratories of SUNY Albany brings to the collaboration special expertise and equipment for nuclear reaction analysis and various spectrometric methods that are necessary for the surface characterization. They will also participate in experimental analysis of new coatings developed originally for use in the microelectronic industry. The results of this research will increase knowledge of the chemical reactivity of glass surfaces, a subject with diverse implications in industry and every day life. The proposed collaborative research will make an immediate contribution to the current international effort to preserve historic stained glass, through the involvement of the German institute in a NATO sponsored project on this subject. Sound conservation efforts require as complete knowledge as possible of the mechanisms leading to the corrosion of these glasses.