Folder 33: Kusko, B.H. The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents, 1988

This file contains an abstract and typewritten manuscript of a paper presented at a conference: Kusko, B. H. "The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents." Presented at the Conference on Technological Advanc...

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Main Author: Kusko, B. H.
Format: Online
Language:eng
Created: Saint Louis University Libraries Digitization Center 1988
Online Access:http://cdm17321.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/speccoll/id/1471
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Folder 33: Kusko, B.H. The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents, 1988
author_facet Kusko, B. H.
author_sort Kusko, B. H.
title Folder 33: Kusko, B.H. The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents, 1988
title_short Folder 33: Kusko, B.H. The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents, 1988
title_full Folder 33: Kusko, B.H. The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents, 1988
title_fullStr Folder 33: Kusko, B.H. The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents, 1988
title_full_unstemmed Folder 33: Kusko, B.H. The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents, 1988
title_sort folder 33: kusko, b.h. the potential of particle induced x-ray emission for the study and conservation of books, manuscripts and historical documents, 1988
description This file contains an abstract and typewritten manuscript of a paper presented at a conference: Kusko, B. H. "The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents." Presented at the Conference on Technological Advances in Conservation and Geoarchaeology, Santa Barbara, California, June 12-14, 1988.
publisher Saint Louis University Libraries Digitization Center
publishDate 1988
url http://cdm17321.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/speccoll/id/1471
_version_ 1798403659820695552
spelling sluoai_speccoll-1471 Folder 33: Kusko, B.H. The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents, 1988 Kusko, B. H. Proton-induced X-ray emission; Imaging systems in archaeology; Archaeometry; Antiquities -- Analysis This file contains an abstract and typewritten manuscript of a paper presented at a conference: Kusko, B. H. "The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for the Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts and Historical Documents." Presented at the Conference on Technological Advances in Conservation and Geoarchaeology, Santa Barbara, California, June 12-14, 1988. 1988 2011 image/pdf 67 1 33_Item 0001.pdf Thomas A. Cahill Papers--Crocker Historical and Archaeological Project, 1981-2009 The items in this folder are part of the Thomas A. Cahill Papers--Crocker Historical and Archaeological Project, 1981-2009. They are from Series 1: Thomas A. Cahill Research Papers, 1981-1994. This series consists of various research papers and published articles based upon Dr. Cahill's research using Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) techniques in analyzing inks and papers. 67 1 33 Permission to copy or publish must be obtained from the Saint Louis University, Pius XII Memorial Library, Special Collections Department Saint Louis University Libraries Digitization Center text/image eng Saint Louis University Libraries Special Collections, Archives & Manuscripts . ", .. \ \ I! \ \, ABSTRACT FORM TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND GEOARCHAEOLOGY JUNE 12-14, 1988 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA PLEASE TYPE YOUR ABSTRACT IN THE SPACE BELOW --------- DEADLINE MAY 1 -------------------------------• -------------------------------------- Jhe Potential of Particle In<.1ucedX-Ray Emission for the SJudy and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts, and Historical Documents Bruce H. Kusko Crocker Historical and Archaeological Project University of California / Crocker Nuclear Laboratory Davis, CA 95616 The Crocker Historical and Archaeological Project (CHAP) at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory of the University of California at Davis has been using Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) for the' arialyst's' of thepaper. parchment, and inks of books, manuscripts, and historical documents. PIXE is i _ a non-destructive method capable of determining the elements from sodium (Na, Z= 11) through uranium (U, Z=92) that are present in major, minor. or trace amounts. The primary focus of CHAP has been historical: we have been using PIXE data to answer certain long standing questions about the development or printing in western Europe in the l Sth century. PIXE data can also be useful in conservation and restaura~ion··8tuEiie3;·in:·wl1ich·the first step is to understand the physical and chemical properties of the papers, parchments, and inks of the document in question. For example, chlorine bleaching, alum sizing, and mineral fillers or colorants can be detected easily, and the composition of the ink can be studied if it is not purely organic. This paper will describe the capabilities of PIXE and explore its potential in the field of document conservation: -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LEADING A WORKSHOP SESSION? YES NO >( ~o c;>~ 7 tAo.l-\ J ~c..v--, r:' f\'z; k.,f oJ" \ Doc.'-'v '" (I-J->" I . C-- '1/' ~lA\G A V +'5 SEND THIS COMPLETED FORM TO: DR. STANLEY V. MARGOLIS MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA SANTA BARBARA, CA. 93106 TOPIC OF INTEREST TELEPHONE # (805) 961-4496 The Potential of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission for Ule Study and Conservation of Books, Manuscripts, and Historical Documents Bruce H. Kuske Crocker Historical and Archaeological Project Crocker Nuclear Laboratory University of California Davis, CA956 16 The Crocker Historical and Archaeological Project (CHAP)at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory of the University of California at Davis has been using Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE)for the analysis of the paper, parchment, and inks of books, manuscripts, and historical documents. PIXEis a non -destructive method capable of determining the elements from sodium (Na, 2= 11) through uranium (U,2=(2) that are present in major, minor} or trace amounts. The primary focus of CHAPhas been historical; we have been using PIXEdata to answer certain long standing questions about the development of printing in western Europe in the 15th century. PIXEdata can also be useful in conservation and restoration studies, in which the first step is to understand the physical and chemical properties of the papers, parchments, and inks of the document in question. For example} chlorine bleaching, alum sizing, and mineral fillers or pigments can be detect~d easily} and the composition of the ink can be studied if it is not purely organic. This paper Willdescribe the capabilities of PIXEand explore its potential in the field of document conservation. I. Introduction I would like to thank Stan Margolis and Luis Monreal for inviting me to to speak at this conference. I am an atomic physicist and relatively new to the field of conservation, but for the last ten years I have been involved in the cyclotron analysis of books and manuscripts through the Crocker Historical and Archaeological Project, or CHAPfor short. CHAPconsists of a group of scholars in the sciences and humanities who are engaged in Potential of PIXE... B.Kusko 2 historical, art-historical, bibliographical, archaeological and other related research programs which employ the facilities of the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory (CNL).The instrument we use to study books and manuscripts is called a proton milliprobe, which is based on a technique known as Particle Cvj\,\\tl.... S WIll ~es v,,,,e ,...1 ?J-+ j) Induced X-Ray Emission, or PIXE1\Ourfocus has been the~ history of the book. The largest effort has gone into our study of Gutenberg and the incunabula period, when printing with movable metal type was invented and spread throughout Europe (1450-1500). 1 _' :/0 ~~;t4 As the technical coordinator of the CHAPsprogram I affiAconfidentof rf fl\A-1.. ~ ~ '(' e'S00V\$\01€ the numbers+ obtain. But as e.,~. 1r1>.r" J)'"A .{(.,o. -.((.0...rr;;.c'-l ofov-r ~;,J~A10_ ••• :~.J..0. p-€"w~ evt-fovl ~S(-\tTs. ~ 't a scientist collaborating with humanist scholars, I often find myself ignorant of the details of the historical or bibliographical side of an issue. I sometimes , feel that I have answers, but that I don't know what the questions are. I will tell you a briefly about CHAPsand the technique called PIXE,with the hope t .iJ;l (that conservators of documents will see a use for the information provided ~ byPIXE. \ --\ rt---- ~--.....-./0 C. Utilization of the CNLcyclotron to the study of books, manuscripts, and historical documents grew out of fortuitous circumstances that brought i together two very different research projects that were being pursued on \ the Davis campus. The one has to do with the cyclotron analysis of smog (figure 1). Essentially, air pollution is collected by pulling air through clean filters and its elemental composition is determined by PIXE.Physics professor Tom FL Potential of PIXE... B.Kusko 3 cahill and colleagues use the (PIXE)results to help pinpoint the sources of the air pollution; whether it comes from man -made sources like automobiles and power plants, or natural sources like forest fires and volcanos. The second project is history professor Dick Schwab's investigations Of. r-2\t the great 16th century Encyd{~jje of Diderot (figure 2). Diderot's covrt-vuvel!'5%\ t Encycjope.:iie.,printed over a period of 20 years, contained 35 volumes, t=- s R including 11 volumes of magnificent engraved plates. It was so highly admired and sought after that almost immediately, counterfeits were being ~ made. Schwab's researches, based on careful visual examination of over 100 folio sets, resulted in a seven-volume Iaveatory t>f the En{yd{~ilewhich was designed, in part, to establish the original text out of the many counterfeits, cancels, censored pages and confusion of variant editions. As Schwab and Cahill became a-ware of the problems with which each was dealing in their widely differing fields, they became persuaded that the PIXE technique that worked so well on aerosol filters might be effectively ),-/D:J applied to problems of physical bibliography and the history of the book. After all, to the cyclotron, the ink on a page of a book is almost identica1-te ~ '7Ts-r smog collected on a clean filter. 2 _Proton Induced I -ray Emission Figure 4 shows the essential features of PIXE.A beam of high energy f~L protons generated by the cyclotron passes through the page I exciting the ink and paper being analyzed into emitting characteristic x-rays. By Potential of PIXE... B.Kusko 4 characteristic I mean that these x-rays contain information about the atoms in the object being analyzed. The energy and intensity of the x-rays are used to determine what elements are present in the ink and paper, and in what amounts. There are a great many advantages to using PIXE.(Table ) Most important for the analysis of books and manuscripts, the technique can be made completely non -destructive, so that one cannot determine, even with careful examination, that any analysis had been performed. It is therefore not necessary to remove even the smallest aliquot from the document being tested. Furthermore, PIXEis a multi -elemental method, since any element from sodium through to the end of the periodic table can be detected (by its x-ray signature) if it is present in major, minor, or trace amounts. It is a very sensitive method, with the capability to detect elements present in amounts down to lO- 13 to 10-14 grams. {It is quantitative in an absolute sense, needing no standards for calibration purposes, only the parameters of the experimental setup} It is extremely fast, in that good sensitivity is usually attained in 60 to 180 seconds. And if an accelerator is available, it is relatively inexpensive. This need for an accelerator to produce high -energy proton beams is the primary limitation of PIXE.The other major limitation is the inability to detect the elements hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Therefore, if an ink were purely organic it would be "invisible" to the PIXEtechnique. Also, as with any x-ray method, we see elements and not compounds. 3- The Davis Proton Milliprobe IJ-0( Qt At Davis we do PIXEwith what we call the proton milliprobe. The Davis proton mi11iprobeis located at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory of the University of California at Davis (figure 5) At the heart of the laboratory is a 300 ton cyclotron (figure 6). the one used a Berkeley for many years before it was "retired" to the Davis campus is 1965. The cyclotron provides the high energy proton beams that are used to probe the o 1A}-\1~ \-1-R composition of paper and ink. 'lll:is is the control room of the cyclotron (figure 7). Although it is quite complicated, once the beam is tuned up it takes very little effort to keep it going. ~ ~-( -r-'\'Jt..,-\- ~l5--Y1J e _ CovV\1-Vv-9 v<J,\)~( w'lt\-t-re. -r~~~CA...-hr..-,5 5-QV\+~< ~C~S'::>I~ e The proton milliprobe is at the end of the target beam line and is '8 shown here schematically (figure 101. The proton beam passes out of the evacuated beam line through a thin plastic window, and reaches the target page after traveling through about one inch of air. It then passes through the page, exciting x-rays, and is collected and counted in what is known as a Faraday Cup. The x-rays emitted from the page are detected with a detector just below the beam line. i, ~+ed. +0 0 e l:i-d ~~V\ 0 _'?> c-, '" ~ '3, 0 'W\ '-"'1 -' \tIe~\<Aw\~~\[ *fl1e. /oQ~",,", c (AV1 \,~ t?\. j 0 (CAlI\taQ.V\~e... "'L1r, .Vl I-- 1.\ \ -t -+~ A CO\I"lQCA-r'VJ'-1 7V\-€. T0.\(1~+S O\.V"'€. O\.\l~V\e~ j-Ia CA. (}.:se~ ~Qro ~ 1\ ~~+cV\ la-e~fI""\ I by --t'1e. UJe of' VV\\'4'vo-r::' ' Because of the low beam currents used, the energy lost in the target page is always quite small. Typically, the energy deposited is equivalent to that provided by a 100 Watt light bulb at a distance of 50 em, and much less Potential of PIXE... B. Kuske than sunlight or the energy deposited by a photocopy machine. Nevertheless we performed extensive tests to assure ourselves that the proton beam is completely harmless to papers and parchments. The actual process of analysis is so safe that it is possible for us to stand directly next to the book 5 Potential of PIXE... B.Kusko so that we can supervise the safe handling of it. As a matter of policy we require the curator or other representative to be present at all times during the testing of their book. [+- \J J--;( 6 LrIt? F \ I For the testing of large bound books aBe oti'ieI balky w(}rks, we needed to design a special lectern so that the individuat pages could be positioned quickly, accurately, and safely on the target plate (figures 11 and 12). We consulted with rare book conservators and designed it so that it can hold the volume securely, make it possible to position a single leaf of a bound volume in position (at 45 degrees) on the target plate, but in no way put a strain on the binding or pages they would not get from normal reading. When hanging sideways, the weight of the volume is distributed along the bottom and side edges. The device is designed so that there can be precise adjustments of the book up or down or laterally in relation to the target plate and proton beam coming through it. /( ~ r) '"") ~e l'7CtAV>'\ ',5 t'"- "",oJ4 s-; L-0: \.1 '1CI..( L . Th~~figuret (figures 13 a ) ~ representative of the x-ray ::f I'"LR spectrum acquired with the proton miniprote, and are taken from one of out: \t ~O1;.l5 -+\-\e ~~~{ (.\£15 Ie. . S eW\ rII.(d early G tenberg analyses. ~u is the x-ray spectrum-of pape .and on ~ e e \~ • the ig:htis4~ay spectrum of black ink. Since the beam goes through the page, when we analyze ink we get x-rays from the ink and also x-rays from the paper. We have found paper to be relatively homogeneous chemically, so by subtracting its contribution to the paper -plus-ink spectrum, we can arrive at the elemental composition of the ink. (Unable to get absolute numbers for ink atone.) Potential of PIXE... B.Kusko These x-ray spectra are analyzed by computer. Quantitative results are available for all elements (above sodium) 30 seconds after the completion of data acquisition. This immediate access to results allows the intelligent modification of protocol if something unexpected turns up. 4. Applications of the PIXETechnique An early example of the sensitivity of the PIXEmethod is shown here (figure 15). We analyzed 33 consecutive pages of an 18th century travel book by Savary (let/res sur lEgypt~1786), and plotted the results. It was puzzling to the scientists in the group that the elemental values were consistent for eight pages, then jumped to a different value for eight pages, and so on. Of course Dick Schwab immediately recognized that we were seeing signatures, (figure ) and differences in composition from one large sheet of paper to another. These results encouraged us to pursue the PIXEmethod for the testing of the papers and inks of books and manuscripts. The information we have obtained has made it possible to make new contributions to the discipline of descriptive or physical bibliography. We have been able, for instance, to peer into the day-to-day workings of Gutenberg's printing shop. While these data \) tJ~~vV) o v..,te V 7 Potential of PIXE... B.Kusko 8 are interesting they are not relevant to this symposium. The point is that the proton milliprobe is a tool that can be exploited for conservation studies. OUrexperience in this field has been limited. I will describe our part bt' in a large study tf0nducted by Timothy Barrett, now the director of the Papermaking Facility of the University of Iowa). Barrett had collected 126 leaves of book-paper manufactured between 1400 and 1800,62 of which were in good condition, and 64 of which were in poor condition. One of his aims was to determine why some paper remained in good condition while others deteriorated badly. His measurements included tests of pH, fiber length, gelatin content, and ultrasound properties. Our job was to measure the sulfur, c torine, and residual metal l,. \~'>lO ~DY'V\e ov« fv~\ n$v\+S w~~ Joo~ bQ ~1o\\5"'€c!a,:r ''''Vl VI'71 ~r o.r\.{ content of the papers" In general we found that the good paper had higher. ~-..re\~'~vW.+lO()., ~~ calcium levels, while the poor paper had higher sulfur, aIId potassium, levels . .air pal19tien A \uvv) Y- Af- 50t1) )se~ ? I~ I~~ \ V) ~ e I -,\ . ~V\~-e.'vv\IA\.(~~ ~(e.eJS Mo...\£e"'J ~~ ~e;..~e"o...C\O cc k\c<.:"'""" \JV\/\6...1 o-c.+ ~'> c;,.. ~ ���•.•+--te-r- <, atWll~ b~~, \1I'\\-e(/\+lool'-g.l(y IOlr 0c-c~~ev\+1i LV\t~'vc41 Pages were seen with very high chlorine levels, which probably means the page was washed or bleached at some time. (Clin papermaking only after 1774.) ;;; I f2vf'v-\ fa,x.e 1 5J 0~ S vJ e f? ~ VIC-.. \,Y~~ - --::J (2 5 (' c:' 0C S>vV)G \ I \ov\)vVVI\S~ ~ y.Q U()~\sL." '7e v-}5 -f-hct1 J\5 cot Dv ~ ~ \j'Je", ~V""\ 0 \~ G~ re'-f., \~ey ~~ ")~o vJ L.,+ ~ ~Q c:::..J€ vv\l CIjX1 5~ floc VVl'otLs. ~~ c-.l-:-o ~ ~7~L_<A\ VV\-e-h·Js +h<A+- c-,c+ CAS cuJ~/1 '2RV3 -+0 o"f~6~~'vV)- WQ. {ovv'"/1 G o~ f~ II ~ox.e ~ S~o+5 \.Ne.~ v--.v ~~f·\Oll\_t fY\)~ [\.-e J J rfOV---~\~) C ~-e~~ ~ -<>fCv- \!-,ye.e s()Z~ f ~ r:0 V\ ~ \v-t-e ~ v..v'\. 0 r: ~ ~..J 0-t II"\A fA 0V'I \-:) u ~ ~ VV\ <:> ~ IV'0Y'\) ,0.-", t.. 0 V) a, C7~"Qt ('v~\~-e~ 2...0 -t\VV\e5 VVC0~ ~v-<::lV'> ~~'v\ f1-o sVVJ'<;)vV'\~C~ (""'F-ev ~ l+ \~ (\ev.-v VV\O--re vv~,,\<- Y\~~5 ~ 012. ~()""«' OV'-{;XI'V\-) I L::,Q-}h. vvd'--. ?\~& c- I-,~ 0 f",",<>-J" vv"-€ j.~1. ~;s. r>.Kusko "---- - Cl--~88!!t'6!\f!leallll "iI'[f9S. We stuoieo three leaves that were high in sulfur in more detail. We scanned the top, outer and bottom margins as shown in figure .The results for sulfur, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc are sho-wnin figure . It appears that sulfur can enter a book through airborne sources, probably as sulfur dioxide gas and sulfate _-"p,--~rtic1es.7 ( ~------- ..-- / I I Potential of PIXE... B.Kusko 10 6. Conclusion I have tried to show that the proton rnilliprobe is a tool that has a wide range of potential applications. PIXEcan be applied to parchment, papyrus, and other writing surfaces, as well as art forms that use ink, crayon, paint and other writing media.IOf course, to be most effective, data provided by the proton mittiprobe should be used in conjunction with other {more traditional} methods of the study of documents. A broader knowledge of the chemical and physical properties of ink and paper will assist the custodian in evaluating good storage conditions and restoration procedures ~ -----___ ~f~o~r~boo~k:s~a~n~d~m~a~nu~oc~n~·p~ts~. --------------------~------- "'\ \ \ \' l . v-e ~\.-eeo r ~'5I'OV\ \~y~\f'5 O\{ 01'~Q...r ~o-t-eVl /(r, ~~ \ <..CA.ft()V'\S o. ~ I' e' -I' -'I\U.«;h1 (-e~~"",",\<' \ &>...[ '5~YlG- tA~~o--J.'5 . 0\.l"'1~ o-: 0 V\ "V\ J1?'- '" J 6. Acknowledgements This work has been almost entirely supported by a MacArthur Foundation award to Adrian Wilson. Additional funding has come from the University of California, Davis. http://cdm17321.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/speccoll/id/1471

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