Towards identification of traditional European and indigenous Australian paint binders using pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry.
We report a pyrolysis GC-MS method capable of analysing Indigenous Australian and European binders typically used in the manufacture of culturally important painted works. Eleven different traditional European binders and ten different Indigenous Australian binders were examined. The method allows discrimination between highly complex and impure lipid, resin, polysaccharide, wax, and protein-based binders. Each was found to have characteristic pyrolysis products that were unique to the binder material, demonstrating the potential for differentiation of these binders on Australian Aboriginal artworks towards identification and conservation of cultural heritage.
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Electronic address: tiffany.reeves@flinders.edu.au.
Tiffany
T
Reeves
Rachel S
RS
Popelka-Filcoff
Claire E
CE
Lenehan
D001154:Art; D001315:Australia; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D005060:Europe; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D010150:Paint / Q000032:analysis*
Art conservation; GC–MS; HCA; HPLC; IR; Indigenous Australian; MS; Paint binders; Py-GC–MS; Pyrolysis; TMAH; gas chromatography mass spectrometry; hierarchical cluster analysis; high performance liquid chromatography; infrared; mass spectrometry; pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry; tetramethylammoniuim hydroxide