Seeking Art in Science

Sustainability in Art: Forest of Apatite
International law may guard ancient monuments from looters, but little can protect them against acid rain and other corrosive elements. This scanning electron microscope image illustrates one attempt to do so. Researchers in a Princeton art-conservation lab used apatite, a hard mineral, to create a coating of protective crystals — as seen in the center of the image — that shields the surface of marble, limestone and other calcareous materials from environmental degradation. (One form of apatite is a major element in tooth enamel and bone mineral.)

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