Material Characterization Tests

The second edition of this book serves as a comprehensive guide for conservators, archaeologists, and museum professionals, providing detailed methodologies for testing the materials of cultural objects. It includes updated procedures for testing metals, inorganic compounds, organic and synthetic materials, and packaging/storage materials. The book covers a wide range of object types, including metal, textiles, leather, paper, plastics, and architectural materials. It not only explains how to perform each test but also evaluates their effectiveness, helping readers select the most appropriate tests and interpret the results accurately.

The first edition of this book was welcomed not only by the conservation profession but also by those working in archaeology and museums who need to know from what materials objects are made, the compounds that are associated with them or the characteristics of the materials used to package or store them. This second edition includes modifications to several of the procedures described – tests for metals, inorganic compounds, organic and synthetic materials as well as several tests that help to characterize materials. The tests are applicable to a wide range of object classes including metal, textile, leather, paper, plastics and architectural materials. In addition to presenting the detailed methodology for carrying out each test, the authors have evaluated the effectiveness of each test in order to assist the reader in selecting the most applicable test and interpreting the results.

Foreword for UK readers

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chemical safety

Scientific method and techniques of spot testing

Spot tests for metals

• Test for aluminium ions using aluminon (aurintricarboxylic acid)
• Test for aluminium metal using Alizarin Red S and electrolysis
• Test for antimony using spot-test papers
• Test for arsenic compounds using spot-test papers
• Test for arsenic or phosphorus in copper metal using iron(III) chloride
• Test for chromium using diphenylcarbazide and electrolysis
• Test for copper using spot-test papers
• Test for copper using nitric acid and ammonia
• Test for copper using potassium ferrocyanide
• Test for copper using rubeanic acid
• Test to determinate gold karat using a touchstone
• Test to determinate gold quality using nitric acid
• Test for gold using tin (II) chloride and electrolysis
• Test for gold plating using aqua regia
• Test for iron using potassium ferrocyanide
• Test for iron using hydrochloric acid
• Test for lead using spot-test papers
• Test for lead using potassium iodide and electrolysis
• Test for lead using potassium dichromate
• Test for mercury salts using diphenylcarbazone
• Test for mercury using aqua regia
• Test for mercury-cinnabar using a melting point apparatus
• Test for nickel using spot-test papers
• Test for nickel using dimethylglyoxime
• Test for silver using potassium dichromate
• Test for silver using potassium dichromate and electrolysis
• Test to determine silver quality using nitric acid
• Test for tin using cacotheline using electrolysis
• Test for tin using sulfurous acid
• Test for zinc using ammonium mercuric thiocyanate
• Test for zinc in copper alloy using electrolysis
• Test for zinc using spot-test papers

Spot tests for inorganic and ionic materials

• Test for calcium using nitric acid and sulfuric acid
• Test for carbonate using hydrochloric acid and barium hydroxide
• Test for chloride ions using sulfuric acid
• Test for halogens (chlorine) using pyrolysis (Beilstein test)
• Test for chloride using silver nitrate
• Test for chlorine in polymers using pH paper and pyrolysis
• Test for nitrate using spot-test papers
• Test for nitrate using iron(II) sulfate
• Test for phosphate using spot-test papers
• Test for phosphate using ammonium molybdate and benzidine
• Test for phosphate using ammonium molybdate and ascorbic acid
• Test for sulfate using spot-test papers
• Test for sulfate using barium chloride

Spot tests for organic materials

• Test for starch using iodine/potassium iodide
• Test for simple carbohydrates using o-toluidine
• Test for complex carbohydrates using o-toluidine
• Test for carbohydrates using triphenyltetrazolium chloride
• Test for triglycerides using triglyceride reagent
• Test for unsaturated oils using potassium permanganate
• Test for blood using benzidine
• Test for protein (nitrogen) using calcium oxide and pyrolysis
• Test for protein using copper(II) sulfate (Biuret test)
• Test for sulfur using lead acetate paper and pyrolysis
• Test for organic sulfur using calcium oxalate and pyrolysis
• Test for phenols in vegetable-tanned leather using lead acetate
• Test to determine vegetable-tanned leather using iron(III) sulfate
• Test for indigo using sodium hydrogen sulfite
• Test for lignin using phloroglucinol
• Test for rosin using sulfuric acid (Raspail test)
• Test for cellulose using aniline acetate and pyrolysis
• Test for cellulose and its derivatives using 1-naphthol (Molisch test)
• Test for nitrate (cellulose nitrate) using diphenylamine
• Test for poly(vinyl alcohol) using iodine/potassium iodide
• Test for polyester groups using hydroxylamine hydrochloride
• Test for polyamides using p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde
• Test for polycarbonates using p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde
• Test for silicone-based rubber using pyrolysis

Other tests

• Test of pH using an Insta-Check(R) pH pencil
• Test for acidity with pH pens
• Test for volatile acids with pH papers and lime water
• Test for volatile acides with pH papers and glycerol
• Test for acidic vapors using cresol red
• Test for hardness with a pencil sequence
• Test to determine specific gravity using an electronic analytical balance
• Test for radioactivity using photographic film

Appendix 1: Dilution table and chemical concentration calculations

Appendix 2: Explanation of pH

Appendix 3: List of abbreviations

Appendix 4: Table of reagents with safety information used in spot tests

Appendix 5: Chemicals, equipment and supplies

Appendix 6: Product suppliers

Appendix 7: Materials Characterization Trial Form

Appendix 8: Glossary

Appendix 9: Bibliography

• By (author) Werner S. Zimmt
• By (author) Scott Carroll
• By (author) Nancy Odegaard

"So ist letztlich ein Kompendium entstanden, das kaum Wunsche offen lasst...auf die Gefahr hin, zukunftig noch seltener in meinem Labor besucht zu werden, kann ich dieses Buch jedem Restaurator nur warmstens empfehlen." RESTAURO Literatur 4 (2002) 268-269 "The Materials Characterization Book has proven invaluable as a centralized reference for spot tests, used in both my teaching and my conservation practice." Ellen Pearlstein, UCLA/Getty Program in Conservation, Los Angeles "The usefulness of Material Characterization Tests for Objects of Art and Archaeology is not confined to museum professionals. This book also serves as an excellent and essential companion for conservators of outdoor sculpture, monuments, and buildings. When instrumental techniques are not available or characterization must be performed in the field or makeshift laboratories, it offers simple and reliable tests for elements, ions, and classes of organic compounds through which the compositions of materials can usually be inferred..." George Wheeler, Director, Historic Preservation Department, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, Columbia University, New York "This book is really a very valuable resource!" Irene Bruckle, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
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The usefulness of Material Characterization Tests for Objects of Art and Archaeology is not confined to museum professionals. This book also serves as an excellent and essential companion for conservators of outdoor sculpture, monuments, and buildings. When instrumental techniques are not available or characterization must be performed in the field or makeshift laboratories, it offers simple and reliable tests for elements, ions, and classes of organic compounds through which the compositions of materials can usually be inferred...

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This book is really a very valuable resource!

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The Materials Characterization Book has proven invaluable as a centralized reference for spot tests, used in both my teaching and my conservation practice.

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So ist letztlich ein Kompendium entstanden, das kaum Wünsche offen lässt...auf die Gefahr hin, zukünftig noch seltener in meinem Labor besucht zu werden, kann ich dieses Buch jedem Restaurator nur wärmstens empfehlen.

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