The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea

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The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
The “Invisible” technology
 A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field

                                                                        Marco Peloi
                                                             marco.peloi@elettra.eu
                                              Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A
TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
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

3                   TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
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.

4                        TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
High performance “Microscope”
    Light probe:
     High brilliance
     Wavelength tunability                                                              Booster
     Coherent and collimated light                                  Storage ring

    Study:
     Nanotech domain
     Material Science                                                                      Beamline
     Crystallography
     Life science
                                                                                 End Station
     ...

5                     TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
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
      that cannot be produced using other activation methods.

6                     TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
Fingerprint of the CC spectrum

    Comparison between
                                                       Electron source
    two emission spectra of             3500

    CC obtained using                   3000                                                   Synchrotron radiation
    synchrotron radiation (A,           2500
    blue curve) and an
    electron source (B, red             2000

    curve).                             1500

    The blue curve is typical           1000
    of Synchrotron light
    activated CC.                                   500          550           600          650       700

7                   TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
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
        fluorescent component guarantees the authenticity of the tag.

8                        TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
Applications

     Industrial
       ID field, Fashion, Bank Documents, …

     Custom
       Cultural Heritage, Small security projects

9          TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
Cultural Heritage

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

     Our technique is invisible, difficult to reproduce and removable if needed

10                TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
The "Invisible" technology - A new method for anti counterfeiting in the cultural heritage field - Enea
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
     produced by low cost lighting device.
11                     TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
Example #1: ancient coins

     a)                                 b)                                             c)

      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.

                                   In cooperation with the “Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Friuli Venezia Giulia”

12                      TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
Example #2: Lithographic print
            Giambattista Tiepolo
     “Degli Scherzi” Acquaforte, sec. XVIII

                                                                In cooperation with the “Comune di Udine - Musei Civici”

13                     TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
Mark applied with a stamp

                                             Ascanio di Brazzà –Drawing “testa di bue”, sex XIX
                                           In cooperation with the “Comune di Udine - Musei Civici”

14   TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
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

15   TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
Example #4: painting (back)

                     a)                                               b)                                            c)

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

                                                                   In cooperation with the “Comune di Udine - Musei Civici”

16                        TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
Summary of Mark Features
      Labels or marks are invisible if observed under normal lighting but visible
       (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
       low cost.

17                       TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
Other Applications

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

18                        TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
A new project

     mark several thousand
     small Roman silver coins
     (drachmas) in
     collaboration with the
     municipality of Brescia

19                   TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
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

                                                                                                            Soprintendenza per i
                                                                                                              beni archeologici
     The activity has been done in cooperation with:                                                       del Friuli Venezia Giulia

     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

20                       TECH-ITALY Bruxelles, October 4th 2012 - © Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
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                        Elettra is part of “The Coordination
E-mail: ilo@elettra.eu                     Network of Friuli Venezia Giulia
web: ilo.elettra.eu                        Research Centres” (CER), a network
                                           including 53 scientific institutions
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