Characterization of Modern Metals in Heritage Collections

Aluminum alloys, stainless and weathering steels and metallic coatings have been used for over a century in art and design and are now an important part of cultural heritage. Nevertheless, the lack of technical specifications or recommendations for surface finishing and handling of these metals invariably lead to their premature deterioration. This workshop will help participants better understand modern metals, which is essential to their long-term care and preservation.

Dates

Four-day option: September 22 to 25, 2025

Three-day option: September 23 to 25, 2025

Location

Canadian Conservation Institute
1030 Innes Road
Ottawa, Ontario  K1B 4S7

Delivery

In person

Application deadline

July 25, 2025

Participant selection

August 5, 2025

A waiting list will be established once the maximum number of participants has been reached.

Language

English

Number of participants

A maximum of 20 participants will be selected.

Participation options

Four-day option

A one-day X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer operator certification and a three-day advanced professional development workshop (Monday to Thursday)

Cost

CAN$1000

Includes HST, lunch and refreshments and examination centre fees.

Does not include the Natural Resources Canada National Non-Destructive Testing Certification Body (NRCan NDTCB) application fee and level 1 exam ($140 for 1-year validity or $245 for 5-year validity).

For further details on NRCan fees, please refer to Fees for XRF Analyzer Operator Certification.

Three-day option

Three-day advanced professional development workshop (Tuesday to Thursday). XRF spectrometer operator certification is not required to participate in the three-day option.

Cost

CAN$750 (includes HST, lunch and refreshments)

Instructors

Virginia Costa qualified as an engineer in metallurgy in Brazil and presented her PhD thesis on surface electrochemistry at Technische Universität Berlin (Germany). After many years of professorship in corrosion and protection of metals at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), Virginia is now applying her scientific and technical knowledge in metal conservation internationally as a freelance expert. She has been working for several institutions: the Musée de la musique and the Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques (France), the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) and AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Belgium), Kunsthistorisches Museum (Austria), English Heritage (UK) and Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil), as well as lecturing at the Institut national du patrimoine (France).

Virginia was a recipient of an ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) fellowship in 2009 and a Getty Museum fellowship in 2012. She has written articles, given numerous lectures and organized several courses on the use of electrochemistry and metallography for the analysis and conservation of metals. In 2019, Virginia published a book about the conservation of modern metals, edited by the Getty Conservation Institute.

Maeve Moriarty earned a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry from the University of Ottawa and a Master’s in Environmental Chemistry from the Royal Military College of Canada in 2009. Before joining the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), Maeve worked in a commercial analytical laboratory, in several research laboratories and as a team leader on a project involving the remediation of contaminated sites in the Arctic. In her work, Maeve used various analytical methods, such as synchrotron-based techniques. She has published numerous articles on arsenic, as well as on the imaging and analysis of inorganic elements.

Maeve has worked at CCI since 2017. She specializes in inorganic analyses of artists’ materials and archaeological materials. Her work includes the non-invasive analysis of heritage objects by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, including pesticide analysis.

Who should apply?

This workshop may be for you if

• you are a conservator, conservation scientist or student in a conservation program
• you are a collections manager responsible for collections containing modern metals

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to

• understand the properties and applications of different types of modern metal alloys
• recognize modern metal alloys based on their characteristics
• use XRF spectrometers to correctly interpret modern metal alloy and coating data
• use appropriate vocabulary to report on the conservation state of modern metal alloys

What to expect

Day 1 (four-day option only)

Morning: overview of XRF spectrometer safety and functions

Afternoon: demonstration of and practice in XRF spectrometer set-up and operation, writing of XRF spectrometer certification exam, reviewing and submitting of XRF spectrometer operator certification application package

Please consult Apply for XRF Analyzer Operator Certification for what to include in your application package.

Day 2

Morning: types, properties and applications of modern metallic alloys (aluminum, copper alloys, stainless steel, weathering steel, titanium alloys, zinc alloys)

Afternoon: visual inspection, characterization of materials and technical aspects, report writing, XRF spectrometer analysis 
 
Day 3
Morning: types, properties and applications of inorganic coatings for metals (electroplate, electroless, hot dipping, anodizing, chromate coatings)

Afternoon: visual inspection, characterization of materials and technical aspects, report writing, XRF spectrometer analysis 
 
Day 4
Morning: deterioration of modern metals and possible interventions

Afternoon: visual inspection, condition report and discussion

How to apply

Please submit the completed application form by July 25, 2025.

Selection criteria

If the number of applicants exceeds the maximum number of participants allowed, selection will be made based on the following criteria:

• The likelihood that the participant can use the course knowledge and skills in their community or workplace
• The participant’s ability to share and transfer the knowledge gained during the course to a wider audience
• The participant’s professional experience and training related to conservation and collections care
• The number of registrations from a single organization
• The balance of institutional and private practice conservators

Preference will be given to Canadian citizens and residents. If the maximum number of participants is met, a waiting list will be established. We especially welcome applications from Indigenous and equity-deserving groups.

(Note: Equity-deserving groups are those that identify barriers to equal access, opportunities and resources due to disadvantage and discrimination based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation and transgender status.)

Payment

Once your registration has been confirmed, you will be contacted by phone to process the payment, which is due no later than August 15, 2025. The payment will be processed in Canadian funds by credit card (MasterCard or VISA).

Canadian federal government employees must provide IS Reference Codes or a commitment number, department code and cost centre.

Refunds

Requests to withdraw must be submitted in writing to CCI. Refunds will be issued under the following conditions:

• a full refund less a CAN$25 administrative fee for requests received at least 21 days prior to the start of the workshop
• a full refund less a CAN$50 administrative fee for requests received between 7 and 20 days prior to the start of the workshop
• no refund for requests received less than 7 days prior to the start of the workshop

CCI may make exceptions to this refund policy in the event of insurmountable difficulties in attending the workshop.

Cancellation

CCI reserves the right to cancel this workshop if the minimum enrolment requirement is not met 30 days prior to the event. In this case, CCI will refund the full registration fee but will not be responsible for any transportation, housing, loss of income or other costs that may have been incurred by the participants.

Additional information

Please contact CCI if you have any questions, comments or accommodation needs.