The Ph.D. was initially based on the use a sound wave and a scanning vibrometer as a noninvasive setup to quantify the mechanical response of the painting and a FEM to measure its tension on stretcher, as a natural continuation of the previous research.

Mechanical data to implement the FEM was needed, and the design and construction of a biaxial tensile tester was the first achievement. A large group of approx. 100 specimens of historical textiles and paintings was collected, and 26 of them (all bearing a selvedge) were mechanically characterized. 

Data was correlated with an extensive study of their morphological characteristics, based on novel techniques allowing quantitative data to be extracted. This allowed designing simple equation to calculate the active part of the cross section responding to tensile load, to obtain their Young’s modulus as if they were homogeneous materials. The analysis of the data also allowed a much higher confidence in the identification of the warp from the weft by the morphology of the textile when a selvedge is not available.

The biaxial tester was equipped with a flexural testing tower, compatible with the ASTM D 790 – 07 standard, and the flexural modulus (the response of a sample to bending) was quantified for a lined painting. 3 papers are in press, 1 is undergoing peer review, 2 are in preparation (2023-2025).