DC12: Digital restoration of faded iron-gall ink documents and drawings
Doctoral candidate
To be recruited
Hiring institution
University of Ljubljana (UL)
PhD enrolment institution
University of Ljubljana (UL)
Main supervisor
M. Strlič (UL)
Co-supervisor
J. Malešič (NUK)
Co-supervisor
Sony George (NTNU)
Objectives
- To develop an integrated, physics-and data-informed model that links mechanical strain, molecular/chemical changes, and environmental fluctuations in iron gall ink–paper systems.
- To combine Digital Image Correlation (DIC), HSI, and FTIR/Raman mapping into a co-registered multimodal dataset at ink-line resolution.
- To identify how localized ink-induced stresses accelerate cellulose degradation and drive damage propagation.
- To train machine learning and physics-informed models (PLS, RF, hybrid models) for predicting degradation patterns and generating spatial risk maps.
- To validate the methodology on historical case studies in collaboration with NUK.
Goals
- A validated stress-strain-degradation model combining mechanical, chemical, and environmental data.
- A FAIR, co-registered multimodal dataset (DIC + HSI + FTIR/Raman) describing ink-line-level degradation processes, prepared for long-term reuse within the network and the wider heritage science community.
- Predictive ML models for identifying risk regions and simulating future deterioration scenarios.
- A prototype module ready for integration into a cultural heritage HDT, enabling real-time assessment and scenario-based preventive conservation.