Synchrotron radiation study on Thai reddish glass

Abstract

It is well-known that red glass has been used as a decorative glass in Thailand for hundred years. Pieces of reddish decorative glasses (Ancient Burmese Glass: ABG, Ancient Thai Glass: ATG, and Modern Imported Glass: MIG) have been collected from different areas in Thailand. The elemental composition and morphology of these samples have been examined using scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE). The binding components have been analyzed using infrared spectroscopy based on synchrotron radiation (SR IR). PIXE results indicate a presence of trace elements which is beyond the limit of detection of EDS. It has been found that ABG and MIG are soda-silicate glass, while ATG is lead-based glass. The red coloration in ABG, ATG, and MIG is affected by the contents of Cu, Cd, and Se. It is also found that ABG and MIG have been produced using crucible vessel and glass-making furnace, respectively, while ATG has been produced using either crucible vessel or glass-making furnace. With the high brightness of the synchrotron source, SR IR can analyze the sample with a high spatial resolution of 20 × 20 µm2. SR IR results confirm the presence of inorganic and organic functional groups in glass samples which exhibit distinctive peaks for different types of glass.