Recent Advances in Analytical Pyrolysis to Investigate Organic Materials in Heritage Science

Degano, Ilaria; Modugno, Francesca; Bonaduce, Ilaria; Ribechini, Erika; Colombini, Maria Perla

doi:10.1002/anie.201713404

Cited by 67 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…These compounds were not detected in the pyrogram; however, they are known to be significantly less stable than hexadecanenitrile and octadecanenitrile (Degano et al . ). The presence of a lipid fraction not corresponding to a siccative oil might be in agreement with the lipid fraction of egg (Colombini et al .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Was Lacquer the Key Ingredient for Luxurious Jinyin Pingtuo Products in the Tang Dynasty of China (AD 618–907)?

2020

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Jinyin pingtuo is one of the most sumptuous decorative methods applied on 'lacquered' objects described in Tang dynasty literatures. Two Tang dynasty objects, a silver bowl and a bronze mirror, in the British Museum collection said to be made by this technique, were scientifically examined to confirm the application of the technique. Although the metal décors levelled with the rest of the surfaces on these objects suggested the application of the pingtuo method, lacquer, a major ingredient of this technique, was not identified by Py (HMDS)-GC-MS in any of the four samples analysed. The results question the use of lacquer in the pingtuo technique as usually described. The detection of shellac and oil in the bronze mirror aligns with other studies on similar objects, whereas proteinaceous materials as main ingredient of the decorative layers of the silver bowl, appear less usual. Further comparative study by scientific analysis of similar objects in other museum collections or from excavations is required to help better understand the use of lacquer in ancient China.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…30 minutes; Degano et al . ). Py‐GC–MS has been consistently applied in the last two decades to the analysis of Chinese lacquer, especially with the aim to differentiate Chinese lacquer from Vietnamese or Burmese lacquer, as well as to distinguish authentic Oriental objects from European imitations (Tamburini et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Was Lacquer the Key Ingredient for Luxurious Jinyin Pingtuo Products in the Tang Dynasty of China (AD 618–907)?

2020

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“…However, its effectiveness is dramatically reduced when studying samples constituted by a mixture of materials. Pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (Py-GC/MS) has proven fundamental in the chemical analysis of synthetic polymers [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] and SOPs [16,24]. Unfortunately, the identification of dyes and pigments is based on the detection of specific pyrolysis products, which are often insufficient to assess the exact molecular formula of the pigment under study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the last 10 years multi-shot pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) has been applied to maximize the information obtained from the analysis of single samples containing different components with a wide range of molecular weights [12,28]. In heritage science, Py-GC/MS has been used for identifying and discriminating between the additives used in the production of synthetic paints and for investigating degradation processes [20,21,29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Synthetic materials in art: a new comprehensive approach for the characterization of multi-material artworks by analytical pyrolysis

et al. 2019

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Modern art materials introduced since the end of XIX century include a large number of formulations of synthetic polymers and pigments, whose degradation processes and best preservation conditions are a major issue in heritage science. Analytical pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) is widely used for the characterisation of polymeric materials and organic pigments, however the interpretation of the pyrograms obtained from samples containing different analytes is not straightforward. To improve our understanding on how these materials behave in complex matrices, we used evolved gas analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (EGA-MS) and multi shot Py-GC/MS to highlight and analyse the different fractions in a sample from a pop-art made of painted polyurethane (PU) foam. The study represents a proof of concept to evaluate EGA-MS potential in studying composite modern art materials in combination with multi-shot pyrolysis. The aim of the investigation was establishing the composition of the PU formulation, the paint binder and the pigments, thereby contributing to planning the stabilisation and conservation of the object. The polymers and the class of synthetic organic pigments present in the paint were assessed by determining their specific pyrolysis products and through comparisons with data in the literature. EGA-MS analysis provided both thermal and chemical information in one analytical run, so that we could select four temperatures for use in multi-shot Py-GC/MS analysis and thus to selectively study the different fractions evolved at different temperatures. Information on the various components of the mixture was obtained, including additives and organic pigments, separating them on the basis of their different thermal degradation temperatures. The multianalytical approach included also non-destructive ATR-FTIR and enabled us to characterize in detail different synthetic materials: polyether-based polyurethane produced by the polyaddition of 2,6-diisocyanate toluene, hexamethylene diisocyanate and polypropylene glycol, vinyl paint, and a mixture of β-naphthol and mono-azo as pigments. HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-MS analyses confirmed the pigments, and provided a positive identification of two β-naphthols (PO5 and PR1) and two monoazo pigments (PY1 and PY3).

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Selection of thermal, spectroscopic, spectrometric, and chromatographic methods for characterizing historical celluloid

Elsässer

Micheluz

Pamplona

et al. 2021

J of Applied Polymer Sci

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Celluloid in museum collections is very unstable; therefore, heritage professionals carry out research studies dedicated to understanding its decay and prolonging its lifetime. This paper addresses the need to compare and select suitable analytical methods for that purpose. Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, evolved gas analysismass spectrometry, double shotgas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were employed to characterize the emission of gasses (decay products) and measure the molecular weight and camphor (plasticizer) content from unaged, artificially, and naturally aged celluloid samples. A pioneer GPC setup for the quantification of camphor was introduced for the first time in this study. Results demonstrated that GPC was the most suitable method for assessing material changes due to degradation. Both setups , for measuring molecular weight and quantifying camphor, appear promising for assessing the effect of conservation treatments and investigating the heterogeneous degradation of celluloid objects in future studies.

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Recent Advances in Analytical Pyrolysis to Investigate Organic Materials in Heritage Science

Cited by 67 publications

References 64 publications

Was Lacquer the Key Ingredient for Luxurious Jinyin Pingtuo Products in the Tang Dynasty of China (AD 618–907)?

Was Lacquer the Key Ingredient for Luxurious Jinyin Pingtuo Products in the Tang Dynasty of China (AD 618–907)?

Synthetic materials in art: a new comprehensive approach for the characterization of multi-material artworks by analytical pyrolysis

Selection of thermal, spectroscopic, spectrometric, and chromatographic methods for characterizing historical celluloid

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