Determination of pigments in colour layers on walls of some selected historical buildings using optical and scanning electron microscopy

Journal Article · Thu Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2007 · Materials Characterization

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2007.05.013· OSTI ID:21062174

Skapin, A. Sever ^[1]; Ropret, P. ^[2]; Bukovec, P. ^[3]

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1. Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimiceva 12, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia), E-mail: [e-mail]
2. Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, Restoration Center, Poljanska 40, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia), E-mail: [e-mail]
3. University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Askerceva 5, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia), E-mail: [e-mail]

For successful restoration of painted walls and painted coloured finishing coats it is necessary to determine the composition of the original colour layers. Identification of the pigments used in The Cistercian Abbey of Sticna and The Manor of Novo Celje was carried out using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Selected samples of wall paintings were inspected by the combined application of an optical microscope and a low-vacuum Scanning Electron Microscope to determine their colour and structural features and to identify the position of individual pigment grains. Energy dispersive spectroscopy was used to determine the elemental distribution on selected surfaces and elemental composition of individual pigments. It was found that the most abundantly used pigments were iron oxide red, cinnabar, green earth, umber, calcium carbonate white, ultramarine, yellow ochre and carbon black. These identifications have allowed us to compare the use of various pigments in buildings from different historical periods.

• OSTI ID: 21062174
• Journal Information: Materials Characterization, Vol. 58, Issue 11-12; Conference: 10. Euroseminar on microscopy applied to building materials (EMABM), Paisley, Scotland (United Kingdom), 21-24 Jun 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.matchar.2007.05.013; PII: S1044-5803(07)00197-0; Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1044-5803
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CARBON BLACK
COLOR
CULTURAL OBJECTS
IRON OXIDES
LAYERS
OPTICAL MICROSCOPES
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
PIGMENTS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SPECTROSCOPY
SULFIDE MINERALS
SURFACES
WALLS