Historical Plaster Formulations and Their Influence on Crystallographic Microstructure

  • Historical plaster formulations offer valuable insights into advanced engineering in pre-modern cultures. This study examines two such gypsum-based recipes: Gach-e Koshteh from 14th-century Iran and Gesso Sottile from 15th-century Italy, both of which have unique characteristics and were essential for artistic and architectural decoration. By replicating these recipes in a laboratory setting, we demonstrate how traditional masters manipulated gypsum microstructure without additives to optimize the surface and mechanical properties of plaster for specific functional and artistic purposes. The Koshteh recipe involves intensive kneading during plaster hydration, which retards setting and produces a platelet-like crystal morphology with alignment of the {010} faces, resulting in a hydrophilic surface ideal for water-based wall paintings. Sottile, in contrast, relies on slow recrystallization in excess water, generating loosely packed, needle-like crystals with reducedHistorical plaster formulations offer valuable insights into advanced engineering in pre-modern cultures. This study examines two such gypsum-based recipes: Gach-e Koshteh from 14th-century Iran and Gesso Sottile from 15th-century Italy, both of which have unique characteristics and were essential for artistic and architectural decoration. By replicating these recipes in a laboratory setting, we demonstrate how traditional masters manipulated gypsum microstructure without additives to optimize the surface and mechanical properties of plaster for specific functional and artistic purposes. The Koshteh recipe involves intensive kneading during plaster hydration, which retards setting and produces a platelet-like crystal morphology with alignment of the {010} faces, resulting in a hydrophilic surface ideal for water-based wall paintings. Sottile, in contrast, relies on slow recrystallization in excess water, generating loosely packed, needle-like crystals with reduced wettability—suitable for oil-based painting and gilding. Using wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we reveal that the Koshteh recipe yields a denser, better-packed plaster with enhanced wettability, while the Sottile recipe forms larger, more loosely arranged crystals and a more hydrophobic surface. These findings underscore the ingenuity of historical materials engineering and offer valuable insights for modern conservation and sustainable restoration practices.zeige mehrzeige weniger

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Metadaten
Autor*innen:Tomasz Stawski
Koautor*innen:Moslem Mishmastnehi
Dokumenttyp:Vortrag
Veröffentlichungsform:Präsentation
Sprache:Englisch
Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung:2025
Organisationseinheit der BAM:6 Materialchemie
6 Materialchemie / 6.3 Strukturanalytik
DDC-Klassifikation:Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten
Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften / Sanitär- und Kommunaltechnik; Umwelttechnik
Freie Schlagwörter:Cultural heritage; Gypsum; Plaster; Stucco
Themenfelder/Aktivitätsfelder der BAM:Material
Material / Materialdesign
Umwelt
Umwelt / Circular Economy
Umwelt / Umwelt-Material-Interaktionen
Veranstaltung:Geo4Göttingen 2025
Veranstaltungsort:Göttingen, Germany
Beginndatum der Veranstaltung:14.09.2025
Enddatum der Veranstaltung:18.09.2025
DOI:10.48380/4e5z-av91
Verfügbarkeit des Dokuments:Datei im Netzwerk der BAM verfügbar ("Closed Access")
Datum der Freischaltung:13.11.2025
Referierte Publikation:Nein
Eingeladener Vortrag (wissenschaftliche Konferenzen):Nein
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