CIME (Interaction chamber of environmental materials) aims to investigate the processes of weathering of heritage materials. This chamber will operate in dynamic mode (continuous flow of pollutants) and simulate realistic multi-pollutant conditions facing heritage materials. Its purpose is to develop and validate a scalable and modular system for simulating changes in climate and environmental contexts varied, with the ability to integrate climate parameters (T, HR, radiation), gaseous pollutants (SO2, NO2, O3, CO2) and particulate matter. The scientific breakthrough of CIME is based on the injection control of volatile organic compounds and natural and anthropic particles. Scientific collaboration between LISA, initiator of the project, and the centre for research on the conservation of collections of the natural museum of history of Paris (CCBC - UMR7188) is at the heart of the CIME project. LISA brings his skills on the interactions between primary, particulate pollutants and mineral materials and the CCBC on the impact of organic pollutants on cellulosic materials. The instrumental development of this tool is provided by the technical department of LISA.

Once validated, this original tool will be available to all the national and European scientific community. A protocol defining facilities and conditions of access derived from the INSU national instruments will be established.

This project benefits from financial support from the National Research Program on the Knowledge and Conservation of Materials of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Agency for the Environment and Control Energy (ADEME) and the University Paris-East Créteil.