Macroscopic X‑ray Powder Diffraction Scanning, a New Method for Highly Selective Chemical Imaging of Works of Art: Instrument Optimization

In the past decade macroscopic X-ray fluorescence imaging (MA-XRF) has become established as a method for the noninvasive investigation of flat painted surfaces, yielding large scale elemental maps. MA-XRF is limited by a lack of specificity, only allowing for indirect pigment identification based o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Analytical chemistry (Washington) 2018-06, Vol.90 (11), p.6436-6444
Main Authors: Vanmeert, Frederik, De Nolf, Wout, De Meyer, Steven, Dik, Joris, Janssens, Koen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Angular resolution
Art works
Chemical elements
Chemistry
Diffraction
Fluorescence
Imaging
Luminance distribution
Mapping
Organic chemistry
Pigments
X ray powder diffraction
X ray sources
X-ray diffraction
X-ray fluorescence
X-rays
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Summary:In the past decade macroscopic X-ray fluorescence imaging (MA-XRF) has become established as a method for the noninvasive investigation of flat painted surfaces, yielding large scale elemental maps. MA-XRF is limited by a lack of specificity, only allowing for indirect pigment identification based on the simultaneous presence of chemical elements. The high specificity of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) mapping is already being exploited at synchrotron facilities for investigations at the (sub)­microscopic scale, but the technique has not yet been employed using lab sources. In this paper we present the development of a novel MA-XRPD/XRF instrument based on a laboratory X-ray source. Several combinations of X-ray sources and area detectors are evaluated in terms of their spatial and angular resolution and their sensitivity. The highly specific imaging capability of the combined MA-XRPD/XRF instrument is demonstrated on a 15th/16th century illuminated manuscript directly revealing the distribution of a large number of inorganic pigments, including the uncommon yellow pigment massicot (o-PbO). The case study illustrates the wealth of new mapping information that can be obtained in a noninvasive manner using the laboratory MA-XRPD/XRF instrument.
ISSN:0003-2700
1520-6882
DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.8b00240