MA-XRPD: A Novel Method for the Non-invasive Analysis of Cultural Heritage Artifacts

In an effort to avoid using invasive analytical procedures on pieces of art, non-invasive macroscopic imaging techniques are becoming more prevalent in the field of cultural heritage. For this purpose, a Macroscopic X-ray Powder Diffraction (MA-XRPD) scanner, which is capable of visualizing crystalline compounds in a highly specific manner, was recently developed at the University of Antwerp.
In this presentation, Steven De Meyer, a PhD student at the University of Antwerp, highlighted the possibilities and limitations of this method, along with several case studies that have contributed to a better understanding of the original pigments used by the Old Masters of painting and the manner in which those pigments have deteriorated over time.