Technical and industrial heritage artefacts are characterized by the presence of mechanisms. The possibility to activate, or reactivate, these mechanisms is an integral part of the cultural values of this kind of patrimony. The artefacts’ functionality, however, requires an effective diagnostic in order to detect the onset of malfunctioning at a very early stage to avoid wear and breakdowns. The assessment of moving mechanisms of heritage objects may be performed using non-destructive methods, such as acoustic emission (AE). The ACUME_HV project aimed at developing diagnostic and monitoring protocols for historical vehicles’ engines using AE techniques. The case studies were performed on 2-cylinders Renault AG1 vehicles (collection of the “Musée National de l’Automobile – Collection Schlumpf” of Mulhouse, France). These cars are maintained in working conditions, and their engines are started periodically. After a first phase consisting in recording the reference signals of the selected engines, the project focused on detecting faults simulated on purpose, the latter reproducing common failures occurring in historical vehicles' engines.

<span lang="EN-GB">The reactivation of artefact mechanisms is always a challenge for conservators. Non-invasive diagnostic techniques, applicable directly on the artifacts, allows for performing early-stage diagnostics and avoiding damage. The Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Historical Vehicles (ACUME_HV) project represents the first use of acoustic emission (AE) as a non-invasive technique for the diagnostics of historical vehicles. The aim of this project is to develop an objective, human-independent method. This will help museum personnel to make decisions regarding the reactivation of historical vehicle engines using measurements and data analysis rather than merely personal experience. Herein, we present the results of the first phase of the ACUME_HV project, which was focused on the development of a protocol for the use of AE during cold tests.</span>

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New technologies are in development regarding the preservation of waterlogged archaeological wood items contaminated with Fe/S species. To this purpose, a bio-based treatment to extract these harmful species before further damages occur is presented. Thiobacillus denitrificans and desferoxamine were employed based on their specific properties to solubilize iron sulfides and uptake iron. The biological treatment was compared with oxidizing and complexing agents (sodium persulfate and ethylene diamine tetraacetate) traditionally used in conservation-restoration. Mock-ups of fresh balsa as well as fresh and archeological oak and pinewood were prepared to simulate degraded waterlogged wood by immersion in corrosive Fe/S solutions. The efficiency of both biological and chemical extraction methods was evaluated through ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopies and validated by statistical approach. Results showed that treatments did not affect the wood composition, meaning that no wood degradation was induced. However, the chemical method tended to bleach the samples and after treatment, reduced sulfur species were still identified by Raman analyses. Finally, statistical approaches allowed validating ATR-FTIR results.

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