Time resolved laser induced fluorescence for characterization of binders in contemporary artworks

Contemporary artworks are often realized with multi-component mixtures with unknown compositions, which may be subjected to an unforeseeable degradation. A detailed characterization of these materials provides relevant information both to plan proper restoration strategies and to prevent damages. In particular, binders identification represents one of the major problems in the conservation of the contemporary works of art. In this paper, five binders routinely employed in contemporary paintings, i.e. acrylic resins, ethylene vinyl acetate, dammar varnish and linseed oil, were studied by Time Resolved Laser Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (TR-LIF). Experimental results confirm the TR-LIF analysis capability to isolate specific contributions from the investigated constituents. The spectral features of ten commercial paints containing the above mentioned binders were analyzed as well. In this latter case, additional diagnostic techniques, such as X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy, were demonstrated to provide useful complementary information to integrate TR-LIF results.