Neutron radiography studies for Cultural Heritage within the neu_ART project

One of the aims of neu_ART project is to investigate the apability of fast neutron imaging applied on artefacts of interest for cultural heritage. Compact systems based on D-D or D-T fast neutron sources could be installed in certificated laboratories near restoration centers as diagnostic tools to plan the restoration work. This paper presents preliminary studies carried out at fast (NECTAR) and thermal (INES) neutron facilities. Custom samples of different thicknesses, internal structures and material compositions were analyzed, together with artistic objects to compare the performance of fast and thermal neutron radiography. We focused our studies on the neutron penetration into metals, as bronze, iron, and brass. A detailed analysis of the results is presented and compared with digital X-ray radiography. These two complementary techniques can be integrated to fully characterize the objects under study.