The Invisible technology

The “Invisible” technology

A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field

Marco Peloi [email protected]

The technology “Invisible”

Elettra – Sincrotrone Trieste has developed an

anti-counterfeiting technology based on optical properties of

microscopic fluorescent particles, activated using a beam of particles or a focused synchrotron light beam.

Using these particles it is possible to make

anti-counterfeiting marks, visible only when lightened by a by a

specific wavelength. Patents: PCT/EP2008/051320 d.d. 4/02/2008 PCT/EP2010/070096 dd 17/12/2010

Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A

 No profit shareholder company recognized of national interest.

 Shareholders: Area Science Park, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, CNR, Invitalia.

 Established 26 years ago to build and manage the Elettra synchrotron light source open to international scientific and commercial user.

 The mission is to promote cultural, social and economic growth through basic and applied research in relevant fields, technical and scientific training, and technology transfer.

High performance “Microscope”

Light probe:



High brilliance



Wavelength tunability



Coherent and collimated light

Study:

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Nanotech domain

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Material Science

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Crystallography

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Life science



...

Color Centers

• A color center (CC) is a defect in a crystalline

structure in which a vacancy is filled by one or more

electrons.

• CC could be generated by

ionizing radiation such as Synchrotron Radiation.

• If CC are illuminated by an appropriate (Blue/UV) radiation, they fluoresce

and emit light in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

• CC produced using synchrotron radiation have a characteristic spectrum

Fingerprint of the CC spectrum

synchrotron radiation (A, blue curve) and an

electron source (B, red curve).

The blue curve is typical of Synchrotron light

activated CC.

How to apply the technique

The CC can be produced (activation process) in a powder of small crystals and applied to several support surfaces and in several ways.

Some of these methods are listed below:

 Evaporation. Microscopic particles can be evaporated on a surface forming

a thin film with a thickness of few tens of nanometers on almost all substrates and the mark can be generated by using a narrow beam of electrons or synchrotron light.

 Printing. Activated particles can be used as a component of ink or paint.

Inks or paints can be applied on many substrates through the standard printing techniques such as flexography, inkjet, … or applied directly using stamps, airbrush and paintbrushes.

 Mixing. Activated particles can be mixed with other components like glue, and used to fix tags on products. The simple presence in the glue of a

Applications

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Industrial

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ID field, Fashion, Bank Documents, …

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Custom

Cultural Heritage

Standard techniques use visible marks or tags associated to the objects They are visible and easily reproducible

Application with airbrush

The activated powder is mixed with other components to produce an ink, that can be applied with an airbrush through a mask.

Marks are invisible if observed under normal lighting but visible when

excited with specific wavelength

Ancient coin marked with activated particles, observed under natural light (a) and an ultraviolet source (b). Detail of the surface of the coin showing the fluorescent writing (c). Each character is 0.5 millimeter large.

a) b) c)

Example #2: Lithographic print

Giambattista Tiepolo

“Degli Scherzi” Acquaforte, sec. XVIII

Mark applied with a stamp

Example #3: painting (front)

Stamp of a label applied on a painted surface of a oil–painting.

Observed under natural light

Observed using UV light

Example #4: painting (back)

Stamp applied to the back of a painting, on the wooden frame (a-b) and on canvas (c)

Summary of Mark Features

(and their authenticity can be verified) when excited with UV or blue light produced by low cost lighting device (first level of security).

 The activation process of the microscopic particles can be made in

different ways, each producing a specific fluorescence spectrum that can be observed either with portable medium cost analytical tools or directly in a dedicated laboratory to serve as central service (second level of

security).

 Particles activated using Synchrotron radiation have a characteristic

spectrum that can be reproduced only in similar laboratories (< 20 in the world). This feature helps to certify the origin of the particles used to produce marks or labels (third level of security).

 Synchrotron radiation activated powder could be produced at a relatively

Other Applications

Many other tests have been carried out on different materials: ceramic pots, canvas for paintings and plaster statues.

A new project

mark several thousand small Roman silver coins (drachmas) in

collaboration with the municipality of Brescia

Acknowledgements

Researchers involved in the development of this technique:

Luca Gregoratti Giusy Palma

Matteo Maria Dalmiglio Annalisa Boscaino

Marco Peloi

Elettra – Sincrotrone Trieste

Marija Kosec

Danjela Kuscer Hrovatin

Jozef Stefan Institute - Ljubljana

Raffaela Rimaboschi

Art Conservation

The activity has been done in cooperation with: AREA Science Park - Progetto Sister

Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Friuli Venezia Giulia Comune di Udine - Musei Civici

Comune di Brescia - Settore Musei, Cultura e Turismo

Soprintendenza per i beni archeologici del Friuli Venezia Giulia

Elettra – Sincrotrone Trieste Industrial Liaison Office

Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste SCpA

S.S. 14 - km. 163.5 in Area Science Park 34149 Basovizza - Trieste, Italy

Tel. +39 040 3758040 Fax +39 040 3758623 E-mail: [email protected] web: ilo.elettra.eu

Elettra is part of “The Coordination Network of Friuli Venezia Giulia Research Centres” (CER), a network