Application of a portable XRF spectrometer for classification of potash glass beads unearthed from tombs of Han Dynasty in Guangxi, China

Abstract

Thirty-seven glass beads excavated from the Han Dynasty tombs in Hepu county, Guangxi, China, were analyzed using a portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometer. Reference sample Corning glass D is used to check precision and accuracy of the equipment for major and minor components. The results of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and PXRF are compared to evaluate the quality of equipment for trace elements. Combined with the contents of Al 2 O 3 and CaO, a new criterion of subgroup division for potash glass based on the levels of trace elements (Rb and Sr) is proposed. The correlations of Rb and K, Rb and Al, and Sr and Ca are discussed. It is thought that saltpeter was the main flux used to produce potash glasses of different groups. The positive correlation between Rb and Al, and Rb and K indicates that potassium aluminosilicate minerals may be used as raw minerals for potash glasses of group II. The results indicate that the levels of Rb and Sr can be very helpful in subgroup definition and provide useful clues to the raw materials used for glassmaking and provenance study of the potash glass found in Guangxi, China.

In situ identification of gemstone beads excavated from tombs of the Han Dynasties in Hepu county, Guangxi Province, China using a portable Raman spectrometer

“…To have some preliminary understanding, we choose 17 samples for chemical composition analysis using a portable energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF) before the Raman spectroscopy analysis was performed. More details on the pXRF measurements can be found elsewhere …”

“…The quantitative analysis data show that they contain 6.12–13.07% Al 2 O 3 , 78.92–84.50% SiO 2 , 3.11–4.94% K 2 O, 1.03–1.37% Na 2 O, and trace element of Rb (317–379 ppm). Considering the previously reported results of ancient potash glasses from Hepu county, we think that the three samples are of potash glasses, and surface weathering is the reason for the low content of K 2 O and high contents of Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 within them.…”

The native development of ancient Chinese glassmaking: a case study on some early lead-barium-silicate glasses using a portable XRF spectrometer

“…From the photos in Fig. 1, suffering from [1,29] and man-made barium copper silicate pigments, [30] the loss of fluxes also occurs for the PbO-BaOSiO 2 glasses. [17] For example, PbO and BaO contents of five points (such as HUNWKI-2a, HUNWKI-2b, JLWKI-23-1, JLWKI-23-3 and JLWKI-23-5) are lower than 20.5 wt.%.…”

“…[28][29][30] With an X-ray beam spot of about 2.5 mm in diameter, the pXRF used only permits the determination of average chemical composition of the glass irradiated by the X-ray beam.…”

Investigation of some Chinese jade artifacts (5000 BC to 771 BC) by confocal laser micro‐Raman spectroscopy and other techniques

“…However, confocal laser micro‐Raman spectroscopy has not been systematically utilized to characterize Chinese jade artifacts made of stones besides nephrite . In order to make the judgment more accurate, chemical analysis techniques also were applied simultaneously as a complementary method, such as portable X‐ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectroscopy and external‐beam proton‐induced X‐ray emission (PIXE) . Both of them have been utilized to nondestructively identify the chemical compositions of glass, ceramics, pigments, metal alloys, and other materials of artistic interest.…”