Digital Lunch Seminar Series: Investigating Paper Artefacts with Small and Wide Angle X-ray Scattering

Digital Lunch Seminar Series: Lecture 4/4

Investigating Paper Artefacts with Small and Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (SWAXS)

Agnieszka Helman-Wazny and Sylvio Haas

Chair: Stephan Seifert

The main challenge in the examination of a historic paper is its complexity. Papers contain a large number of components of different sorts, from different plant fibres to inorganic crystalline substances used as fillers or proteomics used as glues, modified under both technological and deterioration processes occurring at different stages and times of an artefact’s life cycle, as well as under the influence of various environmental substances. Traditionally we would need to apply a wide range of methods from different disciplines of both sciences and humanities at the same time, and it rarely happens that we get all the answers to our research questions. Based on the X-ray scattering signals information about the local nano-structure of paper we can learn more about the written artefacts. In this lecture we will discuss the recent development of an innovative experimental X-ray scattering based approach and how it can complement current analytical methods of antique paper identification and raw materials.

Please register via the link below ('Webseite der Veranstaltung')