Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities invented a conservation material called Carbon 13 in collaboration with the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority to use it in the restoration of artefacts, the antiquities minister Mamdouh Eldamaty announced on Monday.

Eldamaty explained that Carbon 13 is the result of bilateral research between the Ministry of Antiquities and the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority. The material took several years to invent.

The research paper for the invention is one of the papers that was submitted by Egypt for the 59th round of the General Conference on Atomic energy to held in Austria between 16 and 20 September.

Islam Ezzat, the antiquities ministry representative in the conference, said that it is the first time that Egypt has created a conservation material made as a result of nuclear power.

“Egypt took out a patent for improving Carbon 13,” Ezzat said, adding that inventing such material came within the framework of the ministry to use nuclear power and atomic energy in several peaceful fields, especially for preserving cultural heritage.

A collection of replicas have been conserved with the recently invented Carbon 13 and will be exhibited on the fringe of the conference.

restoration of small artefacts with Carbon 13