Page 28 - PR 2014 2016 03 Applications of Ionizing Radiations

70 Application of Ionizing Radiations | Progress Report

Figure 45. Large scale radiation processing of books and archive materials at IPEN. (Photo: P. Vasquez/IPEN)
Gamma radiation provides from the cobalt-60 and currently most of them maintain insti-
acts an excellent alternative tool to the tra- tutional partnerships: Institute of Brazilians
ditional preservation process mainly because Studies IEB/USP, Afro Brazil Museum, Lina
it’s biocidal action and can even be used to Bo & P.M. Bardi Institute, Modern Art Muse-
consolidate fragile materials. When compared um – MAM, Mario de Andrade Public Library,
with conventional methods (e.g. chemical Pincacoteca of the Sao Paulo State, Sao Paulo
gases), radiation processing used for cultural Cultural Center – CCSP, Public Archive of the
Heritage disinfection has several advantag- Sao Paulo State (APESP), Government State
es mainly related to the safety, efficiency, Bandeirantes Palace Museum, Butantan In-
reliability, capacity, process time and safety stitute Historic Museum, Historic Museum of
for environment. Constitutive materials in- the Medical School of the Sao Paulo University,
cluding paper, paintings, photographs, films, Immigration Museum of the Sao Paulo State,
parchments, leather, textiles, wood, bones, Contemporary Art Museum of the Sao Paulo
etc. have been processed by gamma radiation University – MAC, Visual Arts Museum – MAV
with excellent results always respecting the of the University of Campinas – UNICAMP,
limits of each material. Remarkable paintings Moreira Salles Institute, Tomie Otake Institute,
were disinfected by using this technology Lasar Segall Museum, Santo Andre Museum,
from artists such as Anatol Wladyslaw and
Wassily Kandinsky, as well as modern Brazil-
ian painters such as Tarsila do Amaral, Anita
Malfatti, Di Cavalcanti, Clóvis Graciano, Can-
dido Portinari and Alfredo Volpi.

More than twenty institutions related to
conservation or preservation activities such
as National Museums and conservations In-
stitutions, conservators-restorers, curators,
Figure 46. Nuclear Science and Cultural Heritage in Brazil – IAEA
etc. have been benefited for this technique promotional video.

Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares