The characterization of materials in the Cultural Heritage field cannot always be carried out by means of traditional chemical and mineralogical analysis, because the necessary removal of material could irreversibly damage the object of study.
For more than ten years, the IBAM has been pursuing the development of innovative analytical techniques. In 2001, at the IBAM office of Catania, the LANDIS was created (Non-Destructive Analysis Laboratory) with the aim of establishing new devices and methods of investigation which can provide significant information on ancient materials in situ and in a non-destructive approach.
Some of the instruments and techniques, all based on the use of X-rays and charged particles, and their respective field of application are listed below:
● PIXE-alpha portable system. This is based on the use of a 210Po alpha source, emitting alpha particles at 4.8 MeV. This system allows the possibility of performing a qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis confined to the first micron of the analyzed surface (pigments, patinas).
● Micro-fluorescence X spatially resolved portable systems. These systems are based on various energy and intensity X-ray emissions and allow the elemental analysis of a portion of the studied object on the millimetric scale (inks, miniatures).
● XRD portable system. Based on the principle of X-ray diffraction in the crystal lattice, it is particularly suited for the mineralogical characterization of pigments, frescoes and alteration patinas.
● XRF portable system with stability control. The ability to exercise a continuous control of beam intensity allows the possibility to perform good quantitative analyses. Due to the emitted X-ray energy, this system is particularly suited for the quantitative analysis of ceramics materials, obsidian and metals.
● XPIXE portable system. Based on the simultaneous emission of X-rays and alpha particles from a Curium-244 radioactive source, this system is particularly suited for the characterization of powdered ceramic material.
Among the most significant interventions of IBAM in the field of non-destructive analysis may be listed: non-destructive characterization of materials of the precious "Chartula" by S. Francis of Assisi; analysis of the pigments used in the ceramics by Della Robbia (Bargello Museum, Florence); analysis of a painting attributed to Botticelli (Classense Library, Ravenna); study of the Misratah coin hoard (Libya); qualitative Characterization of some of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The figure shows some of the instruments developed at the IBAM-Catania during use.
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