AIC's 45th Annual Meeting

When studying and conserving historical objects, there are many considerations taken into account to determine necessary analyses, especially the capability for non-invasive testing. These analyses enhance the understanding of and inform treatments that successfully preserve an object. The decisions for testing can be difficult when faced with the dilemma of sampling for analysis and the ethics of preserving an object's integrity. Recent advances in heritage science have focused on improving the availability and capabilities of minimally destructive, mom-destructive, or non-contact equipment for the conservation community, most successfully for testing inorganic materials. Advancing the technology of equipment for studying organic materials has proven to be more difficult, but newer attachments and portable options are now available with comparable resolutions and spot sizes that could prove valuable for accurately testing organic materials with microscopic to no damage to the object. In literature, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman setups are the main forms of analytical techniques used for identifying organic compounds. They have been utilized quite extensively for various media, but when identifying media on paper and parchment, spectra are often swamped with peaks correlating to cellulose that make it difficult to characterize any coating that might be found on the surface, including sizing, ink or colorant. In response to this, a study was completed to test currently available non-invasive equipment to confirm they have the same quality of results as micro-analytical or destructive testing. This study compares the Da Vinci Arm FTIR attachment and a portable FTIR to a selection of standard FTIR and Raman set-ups and attachments to explore the sensitivity of the chosen non-invasive and portable techniques in order to identify and characterize types of coatings found on paper and parchment substrates. The samples were also analyzed to compare the efficacy of non-invasive testing of artificially aged samples over time and the clarity of spectra when looking at the degradation of paper and parchment. Samples were prepared applying various coatings commonly used in different thicknesses to a variety of paper and parchment substrate, as well as uncoated control samples. A selection were artificially aged and tested at predetermined points in the aging process to monitor degradation and assess changes in both substrate and media.