B&W TekPortable Raman Spectrometers

In Art and Archeology

RAA 2013

Who is B&W Tek?

• Industry leading, total solutions provider in portable Raman spectroscopy

• Founded in 1997, with over 15 years of experience in the industry

i-Raman Series Advantages• Rugged Design• No Moving Parts for Reliability• Small Size for On-site Analysis• Lightweight• Fiber Probe for Easy Sampling• Battery Option • High Performance to Cost Ratio• 532 nm, 785 nm, and 1064 nm

Laser Optionsi-Raman Plus

i-Raman EX

Applications in Art & Archeology

• Portable Raman spectroscopy is widely used for the analysis of paintings, ceramics, statues (surface coatings), and other artifacts.

• The flexibility of fiber optics in conjunction with the non-destructive & non-contact nature of Raman allows measurements to be taken in-situ.

Portable Raman Spectroscopy in situ

Location? Application?

Courtesy of Madatec? Davide?

Portable Raman Microscopy of Ancient Pigments

Courtesy of M.J. Ayora Cañada y A. Dominguez Universidad de Jaén

Lead oxide (Pb3O4)

Cinnabar (HgS)

• Analysis of pigments on the ceiling of a cathedral in Spain using a portable Raman spectrometer connected to a tripod mounted video microscope for precision alignment.

Portable Raman Spectroscopy on Ancient Paintings

Ancient paintings, Pompeii (Italy)

Courtesy of Prof. MadariagaUniversity of Pay Vasc (Bilbao)

Prehistoric paintings, Cova dels Rossegadors, Pobla de Benifassá, Castellón (Spain)

Courtesy of Prof. Hernanz - UNED

Portable Raman Spectroscopy on Prehistoric Paintings

Analysis of Corrosion on Metal Sculptures • Analysis of environmental effects on the corrosion of seven steel sculptures

from Richard Serra: Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain.

• The figures below show the presence of lepidocrocite, magnetite, and iron sulfate from Richard Serra’s Inverse Blind Point sculpture, as well as a SEM image of the surface confirming the results of the Raman spectrometer.

K. Castro et al., COST Action D42 Extended Abstract. 2011, 113–116

Archeology: Pigment AnalysisThe B&W Tek i-Raman was used for analysis of blue pigment, lazurite, on a Buddha statue.

Applications in Geology and Mineralogy

• Portable Raman spectrometers are ideal for the identification of gemstones and minerals, including polymorphs and isomorphs.

• Non-contact, non-destructive sampling allows for analysis of precious or scarce samples, unlike other techniques such as LIBS.

• Portable Raman can also be used for anti-counterfeiting of precious stones, such as in the identification of diamond as opposed to zircon.

Images Courtesy of Prof. Rull University of Valladolid

Raman Evaluated for Geological Survey on Mars

• Before testing for life on other planets, feasibility studies are done on barren areas of the Earth. One such place is Rio Tinto in Spain, where conditions are analogous to Mars, and where portable Raman spectrometers have been evaluated for the joint NASA/EAS 2018 Mars rover mission.

Images Courtesy of Prof. Rull University of Valladolid

Analysis of Various Garnet Gemstones

• Garnets are a class of silicate minerals which include a number of varieties with the general form X3Y2(SiO4)3.   

• Raman spectroscopy’s high selectivity allows for the differentiation of garnet varieties. Andradite and grossular fall into the ugrandite group of garnets (calcium in X site), while spessartine falls into the pyralspite group (aluminum in Y site).    

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Diamond or Zircon?• Raman spectra of diamond and

zircon are distinctly different.

• Diamond shows only one very strong and sharp Raman band at around 1328 cm-1, which corresponds to the C-C stretching mode.

• Zircon shows multiple Raman bands at around 349, 431, 967 and 1002 cm-1, which correspond to the Si-O bending mode and stretching mode.

We are Your Spectroscopy PartnerGlobal Leader with > 10,000 Portable and Handheld Raman Systems

B&W Tek, China Ming Shen Commercial Plaza 400 CaoBao Rd., Suite 2206, Shanghai - 200233, China Phone: +86 021-64515208

B&W Tek, Japan 2-3-2 7F, Kamiochiai, Chuo-ku, Saitama-city, Saitama - 338-0001, Japan Phone: +81(0)48 851 3150

B&W Tek, Corporate Headquarters 19 Shea Way Newark, DE 19713, USA Phone: +1-302-368-7824 Web: www.bwtek.com

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