Paolo Mazzoleni

BIBLIOMETRIC INDEXES (Scopus source 16.01.2021)

H-index 21

Citation 1325

Documents 124

 

ACCADEMIC POSITION:

- Full professor of Mining Georesources and mineralogical-petrographic application to the Environment and Cultural Heritage (SSD GEO/09)

 

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION:

- Graduate in Geological Science cum laude at University of Catania

- Ph.D in Magmatic Association Petrology at University of Catania

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

- President of the Joint Committee of the Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Science

- President of the Aggregate Structure of the degree course in Geological Science and master degree courses in Geological Science and in Geophysical Science at the University of Catania (2010 – 2012)

- President of the master degree course in Geological Science at the University of Catania (2012 – current)

- National coordinator of the Presidents of degree in Geology and Geophysic (2017 – current)

 

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY IN ACCADEMIC AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY

- Member of the directive board of the Presidents of degree in Geology and Geophysic (2012 – 2017)

- Member of the directive board of the Mineralogy and Petrology Italian Society (SIMP) (2016 - current)

- Member of the directive board of the Petrography National Group (GNP) (2009 – 2014)

- Member of the GeoRaman international committee (2016 – current)

 

TEACHING ACTIVITY

Currently:

- Laboratory of Natural and Artificial stone (3 cfu) – degree in Geological Sciences;

- Petrology of mineral resources (6 cfu) - Master degree in Geological Sciences;

- Applied Mineralogy and Georesources (9 cfu) - Master degree in Geological Sciences;

- Petrography for Cultural Heritage (6 cfu) - Master degree in Archaeology

- Petrography for the applied to the study of archaeological artefacts (5 cfu) - Archaeology specialization school

From 1997 numerous courses in the degree in Geological Sciences, Geology of materials and resources, Applied technology for conservation and restauration of Cultural Heritage, in master degree in Geological Sciences, Archaeology and in the Archaeology Specialization School

University of Varsavia (April 2018) - Invited lecture.

University of Varsavia (December 2019) - Invited lecture.

 

PhD. ACTIVITY

2018 - 2020 member of the Ph.D college in Earth and Environmental Science (University of Catania)

2017 member of the Ph.D college in Earth and Environmental Science (University of Catania)

2013 - 2016 member of the Ph.D college in Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (University of Catania)

2010 and 2012 member of the Ph.D college in Earth Science (University of Catania)

2004 – 2009 member of the Ph.D college in Petrography and Petrology (initially Petrology of Magmatic association) University of Catania and University Federico II of Naples

PhD Student supervison & co-supervision

Belfiore C.M. - XVI cycle; Pappalardo A. - XVII cycle; Barbera G. - XX cycle; Randazzo L. - XXI cycle; Di Bella M. - XXIV cycle; Aquilia E. - XXIV cycle; Raneri S. – XXVIII cycle; Finocchiaro C. – XXXIII cycle; Stroscio A. – XXXIV cycle.

RESEARCH GRANT COORDINATOR

2009 Belfiore C.; 2010 Barbera G.; 2011; Barbera G.; 2016 Raneri S.; 2016 Aquilia E.; 2020 Lopez E.

 

RESEARCH PROJECT COORDINATION / PARTICIPATION

- Catania Unit Coordinator of the European Project Crossreads (https://crossreads.web.ox.ac.uk/home)

- Research Responsible of the Industrial Research Project (PNR) "AGM for CuHe - Materiali di nuova generazione per il restauro dei beni culturali: nuovo approccio alla fruizione".

- Principal investigator of the PRIN 2007 project “Identification of the application fields of innovative non-destructive and micro-destructive methods in the analysis of ceramic of historical-archaeological interest through the systematic comparison with traditional methodologies”

- Participation to the project SETI (Sicilia Eco Tecnologie Innovative) P.O. FESR SICILIA 2014/2020

- Participation to the founded PRIN 2010 Interaction between minerals and biosphere: consequences for the environment and human health 1999 and 2005

- Participation to the founded PRIN 2005 Petro-archaeometric analysis of ancient ceramics production in central-eastern Sicily: identification of production centers and characterization of raw materials, mixtures and ceramics

- Participation to the founded PRIN 1999 The stones of the Italian historical heritage: knowledge aimed at conservation. Verification of methodologies and applications to significant urban and territorial cases.

- Participation and responsible for the Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Science to the project PON-FESR TECLA 20215 “Nanotecnology and nanomaterials for Cultural Heritage”: PON03PE_00214_1

- Participation and responsible for the Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Science to the project PON-FESR DELIAS 2015 “Nanotecnology and nanomaterials for Cultural Heritage”: PON03PE_00214_2

- Participation to the project PON-FESR MedNETNA “Mediterranean Network for emerging nanomaterials”

- Coordination of nine University of Catania Projects (2001 – 2020) mainly on petrography application to Cultural Heritage.

 

PARTICIPATIONS TO PROPOSALS AT EUROPEAN INSTRUMENTAL FACILITIES

- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford–n° RB860008: Non-invasive ND characterization of archaeological findings from Messina area (Sicily, Southern Italy). 2008

- Laboratoire Leon Brillouin, Cea-Saclay (France): Determination of the mesoscopic structural parameters in archeological pottery samples from Sicily (Southern Italy). 2009.

- Laboratoire Leon Brillouin, Cea-Saclay (France): The mesoscopic structure of archaeological potteries from Gela as fingerprinting of the ancient ceramic production in Sicily (Italy). 2010.

- Laboratoire Leon Brillouin, Cea-Saclay (France): 2D and 3D textural analysis of the effects of salt crystallisation induced degradation on limestones of interest in cultural heritage. 2012

- European Synchroton Radiation Facility Grenoble (ESRF) N° CH 39 29. 2014.

- Laboratoire Leon Brillouin LLB, Cea-Saclay, (France): Investigation on suitability of consolidant and protective products on Sicilian calcarenite by using neutron imaging. 2015

- Laboratoire Leon Brillouin, Cea-Saclay (France). Investigation on suitability of consolidant and protective products on Sicilian calcarenites by using SANS. 2015

 

PARTICIPATION TO CONGRESS SCIENTIFIC AND/OR ORGANIZATION COMMITTEES

- President of the congress “Geosciences for ambient, natural hazard and cultural heritage” - SGI SIMP Catania 2018.

- Member of Organization and Scientific committees GeoRAMAN-2018 Catania.

- Member of Organization and Scientific committees of “Conferenza Nazionale Diamante e gemme di colore” in collaboration with GABEC and Istituto gemmologico Italiano – IGI. Catania 2016.

- Member of Organization and Scientific Committees International School SIMP, GABEC e GNM “Innovative methodologies for the characterization, diagnosis and conservation of the Cultural Heritage” Catania, Siracusa 2014.

- Member of the COMA Congress 2011 (Symposium on Mediterranean archaeology) General Association of Mediterranean archaeology.

- XIII Giornata di archeometria della ceramica dal titolo “Nuove metodologie analitiche e di trattazione dei dati nello studio della ceramica in archeologia ed in architettura” Catania 2009.

- 7° Giornata “Le Scienze della Terra e l’Archeometria” Taormina – Catania – Palermo 2000

 

COLLABORATION WITH INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH GROUPS

- Institute of Archaeology - Università di VARSAVIA - Prof. R. Chowaniec.

- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources - University di PRAGA - Prof. J. Jehlička.

- Department of archaeology - University di GENT - Prof. P. Vandenabeele.

- ARCADIA UNIVERSITY- The College of Global Studies Arcadia Sicily Center – Prof. D. Tanasi.

- Departamento de Mineralogía y Petrología - Universitad GRANADA - Prof. G. Cultrone.

- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford, UK - Dott. W. Kockelmann e Dott.ssa S. Imberti, responsabili dei diffrattometri a tempo di volo ROTAX e INES presso la Facility ISIS.

- Laboratoire Leon Brillouin - Prof. J. Texeira.

- Department of Earth Sciences; Faculty of Geology, University of Barcelona - Prof. D. G. Torrente.

- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility - ESRF (France) e Universite Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France - Dott. Bardelli F.

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN RESEARCH INTERESTS

Archaeometric characterisation of pottery

The petrographic characterization of ceramics is focused to the study of many production sites of central eastern Sicily and South Italy. To develop this research, the raw clayey materials are also investigated. The principal goals of these researches are: 1) the identification of the production sites; 2) the ceramic production techniques.

The use of innovative methods in the study of ceramics and rocks

The application of some innovative methods including non-destructive (neutron diffraction, small angle neutron scattering, neutron scattering, EXAFS spectroscopy, NMR, X ray and neutron tomography) is one of the lines of research addressed by the proposer in the last ten years. In particular, the study is focused on applications of these methodologies to the analysis of rocks and archaeological pottery. The research allowed us to acquire the necessary know-how about the analytical problems and the answers that may come from the application of multiple methodologies to study the microstructure, texture and composition.

Analysis of the decay process of building stones

The research concerns on the influence of the textural, microstructural and compositional features on the attitude to the degradation of the rocks. Furthermore, the use of nanostructured protective products was investigated. In particular, the research is focused on the analysis of some relevant case studies regarding the volcanic rocks of Mount Etna and limestone of South and Central Sicily widely used in the reconstruction ofthe historic centre of Catania and other centres of eastern Sicily following the earthquake of 1669.

Gems characterization

The research is focused on the micro Raman spectroscopic characterization of different types of precious gems (emeralds, sapphires and rubies), and to the study of inclusions, with the aim to acquire information on their origin. In the case of Sicilian ambers, NMR spectrometry was coupled to Raman spectrometry in order to characterize the organic phases. The research allows us to discriminate natural gems from synthetic ones and imitations.

Mortars, plasters and wall paints in antiquity

The main objective of the analysis of mortars and plasters is to establish the specific characteristics of these materials taken from different architectural sites in eastern Sicily and southern Italy. The study of the pigments used in antiquity was carried out using XRD, SEM and FT-IR, portable Raman spectrometry and portable XRF. The multi-methodological approach has made it possible to identify the pigments responsible for coloring and their chemical composition, providing important data on raw materials and production techniques.

Geopolymers in restoration

The research is focused on the analysis of the potentiality in the use of geopolymers as restoration materials. Geopolymers formulation are produced using local geological materials and waste products.  The geopolymers are characterized by means of numerous analytical methods and tested as mortars and binder for restoration works.