Identification of colorant materials after an artificially aged process

Abstract

Chemical composition and physical characteristics of art materials (support, paint layer, protection layer..) depend on different factors such as their origin, the application process, the storage conditions throughout the centuries and the ageing processes. The identification of aged organic dyes can be difficult due to the possible changes that their physical and chemical characteristics could have undergone with time. A comparative study between standard samples and samples aged in a controlled climate chamber under drastic conditions of humidity, temperature and light was carried out. The techniques of identification and evaluation used were High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and UV-visible spectroscopy. Results showed that the cellulosic fibers confer greater resistance to dyes in all cases.