This curricular unit focuses on knowledge of the materials that make up the polychromes and coatings applied to works of art, with the main focus on film materials, pigments, colourants and fillers.

The specific objectives of this curricular unit are:

• The study of light, its interaction with matter and the origin of colour in materials;
• Acquiring knowledge of the main physical and chemical properties of pigments and fillers;
• Understanding the processes used to obtain pigments and fillers, as well as their degradation processes;
• Introduce students to the main analytical techniques used to identify the constituent materials of polychromes and coatings;
• The acquisition of concepts related to the composition and characteristics of the various classes of organic materials with film-forming properties;
• Understanding the mechanisms involved in film formation;
• Acquiring knowledge of the causes, consequences and mechanisms involved in the deterioration of organic materials and their films.