CCI Newsletter, No. 35, June 2005

Science of Conservation: A New X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer

by Marie-Claude Corbeil, Senior Conservation Scientist, Analytical Research Laboratory, CCI

In the spring of 2004, CCI's Analytical Research Laboratory (ARL) purchased a new X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Although this easy-to-use hand-held instrument looks eerily reminiscent of phaser guns seen in some sci-fi programs or movies (see photo), that is where the similarity ends. This spectrometer is not meant to cause harm, but to do good, since the results of spectroscopic analysis often have a beneficial impact on the long-term preservation of museum artifacts or the health of staff who handle those artifacts.

X-ray fluorescence spectrometry makes it possible to identify the chemical elements present in an artifact. The principle underlying this method of analysis and its applications to the study of museum artifacts were described in a previous issue of the CCI Newsletter,¹ but it is important to recall that this technique is non-destructive (meaning that no sample has to be taken) and also very fast — making it perfect for analysing groups of artifacts. Over the years, ARL scientists have travelled to many museums to analyse artifacts of all kinds with instruments that have become increasingly compact and portable.

CCI's new X-ray fluorescence spectrometer runs on a lithium battery and is equipped with a pocket computer, which makes it very easy to use on site. Until now, the Institute has used X-ray fluorescence spectrometry mostly to examine artifacts suspected of being contaminated with pesticides.² However, because the new instrument is so easy to handle, it will probably be used for many other purposes and in places that have previously been difficult to access. For example, it could be used to determine the alloy composition in bronze monuments or to detect lead in paint in heritage buildings. There are as many potential applications for this new machine as there are questions put to CCI by clients.

1. Corbeil, M.-C."X-Ray Spectrometry at CCI." CCI Newsletter No. 17 (March 1996), pp. 5–6.
   
   
2. See, for example: Sirois, J. "Pesticide Residues in Museum Collections." CCI Newsletter No. 28 (December 2001), p. 13; and Sirois, P.J. "The Analysis of Museum Objects for the Presence of Arsenic and Mercury: Non-destructive Analysis and Sample Analysis." Collection Forum Vol. 16, No. 1–2 (2001), pp. 65–75.