Analysis of Micro-Fine Mineral Pigments Based on Laser Raman Spectroscopy

Micro-fine pigment minerals have been widely used in artworks, and their particle size, types, etc. determine the quality. Accurate and non-destructive analysis of the composition and distribution of micro-mineral pigments is of great significance. The existing analytical methods include color analysis, but it is difficult to directly determine the minerals’ type by the chrominance values. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy disperse spectroscopy have been applied to the identification of mineral components, but these methods carry the risk of damage to the sample and the process is complex. Here, a non-destructive analysis method for micro-fine minerals based on laser Raman spectroscopy is proposed. Firstly, 25 types of mineral pigments were tested by 532, 638 and 785nm lasers. Then, mineral pigments of different and similar colors were tested by Raman imaging, which detected about 1μm minerals in the microregion. This accurate analysis method achieved the composition and distribution of micro-fine mineral pigments, which is suitable for simultaneous analysis of various micro-fine mineral pigments. The BRIEF REPORT is available for this paper at http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/en/article/doi/10.15898/j.ykcs.202403260068.