TY - CONF A1 - Steger, Simon T1 - Spectroscopic analysis of colourants and binders of Chinese reverse glass paintings tracing a cultural dialogue N2 - Scientific analysis based on spectroscopic methods provide essential information on the composition of colourants and binders in paintings. These results can be set in a historical context and help to confirm art historical interpretations. Proofs of certain pigments can be used for dating purposes and may reveal if the artist used not only local but also imported materials. A pilot study of two Chinese reverse glass paintings from the late 19th (Yingying and Hongniang) and early 20th centuries (The Archer) was performed using a multi-analytical approach including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and Raman spectroscopy. This approach allowed the identification of the pigments and the classification of the binding media. The results reveal a combined use of traditional Chinese and imported European materials. Several pigments like cinnabar, lead white, orpiment, carbon black and copper-arsenic green (probably emerald green) were found in both paintings; red lead, artificial ultramarine blue, Prussian blue and ochre appear in at least one of the paintings. The proof of limewash (calcite and small amounts of portlandite) as a backing layer in “Yingying and Hongniang” indicates that clamshell white was also used for reverse glass paintings. Drying oil was classified as a binding media in most areas of both paintings. However, the orange background of The Archer yielded prominent bands of both proteinaceous and fatty binder. T2 - China and the West Reconsidering Chinese Reverse Glass Painting CY - Romont, Switzerland DA - 14.02.2020 KW - Reverse glass painting KW - DRIFTS KW - Raman spectroscopy PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-50445 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Cohen, Zina T1 - Beyond the text: What writing materials of the Cairo Genizah tell us N2 - Results: - Four types of inks were measured iron gall (vitriolic and non vitriolic), carbonic, mixed and vegetable inks. - We need to start analyzing systematically the organic part of the inks. - Great variety in the composition of the inks. - No correlation between the type of ink used and any other criteria apart from a personal preference. - Inks purchased by (some) scribes. - Reconstruction of the chronology of writing and signing of certain legal documents. - Comparison with documents written by the Muslim court. T2 - Ink Workshop CY - Munich, Germany DA - 28.06.2022 KW - Ink analyses KW - Manuscript studies KW - X-Ray fluorescence analyses KW - Cairo Genizah KW - Middle Ages PY - 2022 UR - https://www.naher-osten.uni-muenchen.de/wasistlosaminstitut/veranstaltungsarchiv/veranstaltungen-2022/inkworkshop/index.html AN - OPUS4-58874 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Cohen, Zina T1 - Material Studies of Torah Scrolls at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -Prüfung N2 - In recent years the BAM has been focusing on the characterization of the writing materials of the medieval Torah scrolls. The challenge imposed by the study of this specific type of manuscript led to designing and building dedicated stages to ensure the safety of the scrolls during the analysis. Furthermore, the identification of multiple corrections executed in apparently identical inks required broadening the standard two-step protocol of near infrared reflectography and X-ray fluorescence to include multispectral imaging. This work has prepared the division to participate in the large collaborative project “To roll: Materialisierte Heiligkeit (Materialised Holiness)” based at the Free University, Berlin. The presentation will demonstrate the aims of the studies, preliminary results and the strategies adopted by the division 4.5 of the BAM. T2 - EAJS Congress Branching Out: Diversity of Jewish Studies CY - Frankfurt/Main, Germany DA - 16.07.2023 KW - Ink analyses KW - Manuscript studies KW - Torah Scrolls KW - X-Ray fluorescence KW - Middle Ages PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58881 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hahn, Oliver T1 - More than 25 years of ink analysis non-destructive testing of black writing materials N2 - Writing inks can be divided into soluble inks and dispersion inks. Soluble inks are based on plant or insect dyes forming a water solution. In the early European Middle Ages brown plant inks were usually produced from the blackthorn bark and wine. In contrast to these soluble brown inks, one of the oldest black writing materials was produced by mixing soot with gum arabic or animal glue dissolved in a small amount of water. From Pliny’s detailed account of the manufacture of various black carbon inks, we learn that producing pure soot of high quality was not an easy task in Antiquity. Iron gall inks are a borderline case between these two groups. They are produced from four basic ingredients: gallic acid, an iron-containing component, gum arabic as a binding media, and an aqueous medium such as wine, beer, or vinegar. By mixing gallic acid with soluble iron ions, a water-soluble ferrous gallate complex is formed. Exposure to oxygen leads to the formation of insoluble black ferric gallate pigment. Due to the variety of recipes and the natural origin of raw materials, there is a wide range of different components and impurities in writing inks. The Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) together with the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures in Hamburg (CSMC) has developed a protocol for ink analysis. It consists of a primary screening to determine the type of the ink and a subsequent in-depth analysis using several spectroscopic techniques (X-ray fluorescence analysis and vibrational spectroscopy). This contribution presents a qualitative and quantitative analysis of historical writing inks to characterize distinguishable inks in manuscripts, to determine the origin of manuscripts, and to assign unknown fragments to time and place. T2 - Beyond the reconstruction of an Urtext: “About the history of the early Qurʾānic text with regard to digital research tools” CY - Hesse, Germany DA - 07.07.2025 KW - Archaeometry KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Material analysis KW - Cultural heritage PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63906 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilke, Olaf A1 - Poelke, Birte A1 - Klein, Luise A1 - Rohloff, Alexander A1 - Hoffmann, Holger T1 - Initial VOC Emissions from Consumer Products Determined in Micro-Scale Test Chambers: Results of a Round Robin Test N2 - Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from consumer products may have a negative impact on indoor air quality, potentially also affecting human wellbeing. Since consumers may be exposed to these VOCs immediately after e.g. unwrapping of newly purchased products, reliable analytical methods are needed to determine air concentration profiles in the early phase of VOC emissions. Concerning typical sample sizes of consumer products, micro-scale test chambers (μ-chambers) were considered suitable for this purpose. In addition, compared to medium- or large-scale test chambers, μ-chambers require lower initial investment and operational costs, and offer options for emissions screenings where higher sample throughput is essential. For these reasons, a μ-chamber-based method to determine initial concentrations of VOCs emitting within the first hours of simulated product use was developed. The chamber air was frequently sampled on desorption tubes loaded with Tenax® TA, followed by quantification of emitted VOCs via thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). The method was assessed in a round robin test involving eight participating laboratories from 2 countries. Pieces of a rain poncho (sample area A: 2.01·10-4 m2) emitting cyclohexanone, phenol, 2-ethylhexanol, naphthalene and isophorone in significant concentrations were distributed as sample material. Each laboratory conducted triplicate emission tests over a period of 48 h in μ-chambers with volumes of 44 or 114 mL. The loading factors L of 4.57 m2·m-3 (44 mL) or 1.76 m2·m-3 (114 mL) and air flow rates of 24 mL·min-1 resulted in area-specific air flow rates q of 7.17 m3·m-2·h-1 in both chamber types. The temperature was set to 23°C and, if possible, relative humidity was set to approx. 50%. The chamber air was sampled after 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 24 and 48 hours. In addition, to assess the analytical performance, each participating laboratory received two analyte-spiked Tenax® TA-loaded desorption tubes for quality control (QC). Very low relative standard deviations (11–17%) were obtained for the QC test. The results of the emissions tests in the early phase (0.5–4 h) were also adequate, with acceptable z scores (|z|≤2.00) received by six to seven participating laboratories. All eight laboratories obtained acceptable z scores after the longer sampling periods (24 and 48 h). Hence, the inter-laboratory comparability of the results obtained with the developed μ-chamber method was successfully confirmed. T2 - Healthy Buildings Europe 2025 CY - Reykjavik, Iceland DA - 08.06.2025 KW - VOC Emissions KW - Consumer Product KW - Test Chamber KW - Round Robin Test PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63706 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Grimmer, Christoph T1 - Development, application and measurement uncertainty of emission reference materials N2 - Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by furniture and building materials can cause health issues. For an improvement of indoor air quality low emitting materials should be used. Quality assurance and –control (QA/QC) measures require an emission reference material (ERM) with a predictable emission rate of VOCs. The idea is to use porous materials as ERM, which store the VOCs inside their pores and emit them constantly. T2 - Webinar Metrology for Indoor Air Quality Reference materials for QA/QC of the emission test chamber procedure CY - Online meeting DA - 11.04.2024 KW - Emission reference materials KW - Indoor air quality KW - Materials emissions test KW - VOC PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-59963 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Richter, Matthias T1 - Metrological sound reference products for quality assurance and quality control measures in material emissions testing N2 - In industrialised countries more than 80% of the time is spent indoors. Products, such as building materials and furniture, emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are therefore ubiquitous in indoor air. Different VOC combinations may, under certain environmental and occupational conditions, result in reported sensory irritation and health complaints. A healthy indoor environment can be achieved by controlling the sources and by eliminating or limiting the release of harmful substances into the air. One way is to use materials proven to be low emitting. Meanwhile, a worldwide network of professional commercial and non-commercial laboratories performing emission tests for the evaluation of products for interior use has been established. Therefore, comparability and metrological traceability of test results must be ensured. A laboratory’s proficiency can be proven by internal and external validation measures that both include the application of suitable reference materials. The emission test chamber procedure according to EN 16516 comprises several steps from sample preparation to sampling of test chamber air and chromatographic analysis. Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) must therefore be ensured. Currently, there is a lack of suitable reference products containing components relevant for the health-related evaluation of building products. The EU-funded EMPIR project 20NRM04 MetrIAQ (Metrology for the determination of emissions of dangerous substances from building materials into indoor air) aims to develop 1) gaseous primary reference materials (gPRM), which are used for the certification of gaseous (certified) reference materials (gCRM) and 2) emission reference materials (ERM). Most commercial gas standards of indoor-relevant compounds are not certified due to the lack of primary reference materials to which the project aims to contribute. The gPRM under development is a gas-phase standard containing trace levels of VOCs in nitrogen or air from the check standard according to EN 16516 (n-hexane, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, butyl acetate, cyclohexanone, o-xylene, phenol, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene) with a target uncertainty of 5 %. The gPRM can be sampled into sorbent tubes to obtain transfer standards in the form of gCRM. The well characterised ERM represents a sample of a test specimen, e.g. building material, that is loaded into the emission test chamber for a period of several days and is used to evaluate the whole emission test chamber procedure. It shall have a reproducible and temporally constant compound release of less than 10 % variability over 14 days. Different approaches for retarded VOC release, such as the encapsulation of pure compounds and the impregnation of porous materials, are being tested to reach this aim. Furthermore, the design of the ERM is accompanied by the development of a numerical model for the prediction of the emissions for each of the target VOCs. The current progress of the work on both materials will be presented. T2 - CIM 2023 - 21st International Metrology Congress CY - Lyon, France DA - 07.03.2023 KW - Indoor air quality KW - VOC KW - Materials emissions testing KW - Emission reference material KW - Quality assurance/quality control PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57142 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Grimmer, Christoph T1 - Preparation of novel emission reference materials: μ-capsules & impregnated porous materials N2 - Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by furniture and building materials can cause health issues. For an improvement of indoor air quality low emitting materials should be used. Quality assurance and –control (QA/QC) measures require an emission reference material (ERM) with a predictable emission rate of VOCs. The idea is to use porous materials as ERM, which store the VOCs inside their pores and emit them constantly. T2 - WORKSHOP: METROLOGY FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY CY - Mol, Belgium DA - 18.10.2023 KW - Emission reference materials KW - Indoor air quality KW - Materials emissions test KW - VOC PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-59961 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Richter, Matthias T1 - Emission reference materials for indoor air measurements N2 - In industrialised countries more than 80% of the time is spent indoors. Products, such as building materials and furniture, emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are therefore ubiquitous in indoor air. VOC in combination may, under certain environmental and occupational conditions, result in reported sensory irritation and health complaints. Emission concentrations can become further elevated in new or refurbished buildings where the rate of air exchange with fresh ambient air may be limited due to improved energy saving aspects. A healthy indoor environment can be achieved by controlling the sources and by eliminating or limiting the release of harmful substances into the air. One way is to use (building) materials proved to be low emitting. Meanwhile, a worldwide network of professional commercial and non-commercial laboratories performing emission tests for the evaluation of products for interior use has been established. Therefore, comparability of test results must be ensured. A laboratory’s proficiency can be proven by internal and external validation measures that both include the application of suitable emission reference materials (ERM). For the emission test chamber procedure according to EN 16516, no artificial ERM is commercially available. The EU-funded EMPIR project MetrIAQ aims to fill this gap by developing new and improved ERMs. The goal is to obtain a material with a reproducible and temporally constant compound release (less than 10 % variability over 14 days). Two approaches were tested: the impregnation of porous materials with VOC, and the encapsulation of VOC in polymer microcapsules. Impregnation is performed with help of an autoclave and supercritical CO2. The encapsulation is done by interfacial polymerisation on VOC droplets. For both approaches, synthesis and/or material parameters were varied to obtain an optimal ERM. Findings about the optimisation of ERM generation, as well as performance of the best emission reference materials, will be presented. T2 - GAS Analysis 2024 CY - Paris, France DA - 30.01.2024 KW - Emission reference materials KW - Materials emissions test KW - VOC KW - Indoor air quality PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-59506 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Ketelsen, T. A1 - Hahn, Oliver A1 - Golle, U. T1 - Blindness and Insight. The Rhetoric of Connoisseurship and the Investigation of Materiality. N2 - The aim of the lecture is to present the productive interplay of connoisseurs and material analysis using the example of selected drawings from the Rembrandt collection of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar. We try to determine the point at which the question of the materiality of the drawings makes sense in the traditional discourse of connoisseurship. On the one hand, this involves the question of authorship – Rembrandt – or not? – and the locating of attributed drawings in the context of the work. On the other hand, it is about making drawing processes visible, characterizing ways of drawing and workshop practices as well as distinguishing different forms of reworking and copying within the Rembrandt workshop. The material analyses culminate in the question of whether Rembrandt’s inks can be distinguished at all. It becomes apparent that the newly gained knowledge about the materiality of the drawing no longer reveals itself to the “mere” view of the connoisseur. Rather, it is only generated by the digital image. The rhetoric of connoisseurs must therefore be contrasted with the necessity of a hermeneutics of the digital image. The envisaged “material turn” of drawing science is thus simultaneously able to take up the critique of the question of authorship, which has been growing ever more recently, and to transfer it to a more comprehensive perspective of aesthetics of production. T2 - Drawings by Rembrandt. Connecting art history, science and conservation CY - Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, The Netherlands DA - 06.02.2020 KW - Rembrandt KW - Drawings KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Inks KW - Paper PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-50384 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Beyond Chocolate and Apricot Using Scientific Techniques to Determine the Relationship of the Inks of Codex Vaticanus N2 - Codex Vaticanus was written by multiple scribes and annotated by over thirty different hands. In the past, scholars have speculated about the relationship between the inks using highly subjective observations. For example, The scholars spoke about “apricot” and “chocolate” distigmai, arguing for their respective origins based on their visual similarity to the original ink and that of the medieval reinker, respectively. In recent decades, micro X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) has revolutionized the study of ancient and medieval cultural artifacts, making it possible to examine them using objective criteria. The application of such objective scientific measurements to ancient and medieval manuscripts will be explained with examples of how color, hue, and appearance of ink can be highly misleading. T2 - Annual Meeting of the Siciety of Biblical Literature CY - San Antonio, TX, USA DA - 18.11.2023 KW - Codex B KW - Codex Vaticanus KW - Historic ink KW - Micro-XRF PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-61200 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Horn, Wolfgang T1 - The BEMMA-Scheme helpful for low VOC inside display cases? N2 - Museums worldwide are equipped with different display cases. Exhibit display cases should protect cultural objects from dust as well as from mechanical and physical damage. To ensure a stable climate inside the display cases, a low air exchange rate is maintained. Typically, air exchange rates are often smaller than 0.1 d-1, which can result in rising concentrations of potential harmful VOC inside of the display cases due to emissions from materials. Especially organic acids, e. g. formic or acetic acid which can emit from e.g. sealing materials or wood-based materials, can produce damage of cultural objects. In 2012 BAM introduced a procedure which is called: BEMMA-Scheme (Bewertung von Emissionen aus Materialien für Museums¬ausstattungen) which stands for: “Assessment of Emissions from Materials for Museum Equipment”. Regarding the testing procedure only construction materials were evaluated, not the display cases their self. Micro chambers are used for VOC emission tests of display case construction materials, e.g. plastics, sealing materials, coatings, textiles and others. Each sampling procedure is carried out in duplicate. Emissions like formic acid, acetic acid, formaldehyde, piperidine-derivates and oximes are excluded and the sum of emissions of VVOCs, VOCs and SVOCs is limited. For a positive assessment all listed criteria must be fulfilled; otherwise the display construction material fails the BEMMA scheme. T2 - Indoor Air Quality in Heritage and Historic Environments CY - Online meeting DA - 12.10.2020 KW - Museum KW - VOC-emission KW - BEMMA KW - Display case PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-51470 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Klinge, A. T1 - upMIN 100 – upcycling of mineral construction and demolition waste to substitute natural aggregates in earthen building materials N2 - The construction sector is one of the most resource-intensive sectors in Germany and is responsible for 40 % of CO2 emissions. emissions. Around 517 million tons of mineral raw materials are required annually for the construction of buildings in Germany. At the same time, mineral construction waste was the largest material flow at 229.3 million tons (2020). The rates of building material recycling have increased since 2000, especially for mineral waste. Nevertheless, the majority of recycled aggregates are used in technically largely unregulated applications (e.g. road construction). This downcycling leads to a loss of valuable resources for technically and economically valuable uses. The upMIN100 research project is investigating the question of whether and to what extent recycled mineral construction and demolition waste is suitable as an additive in earthen building materials such as earth plasters and earth blocks. The focus is placed on grain sizes < 2 mm, which are currently predominantly landfilled, as there are currently no regulations for their use in building products. In order to enable the use of construction and demolition waste, the technical feasibility must be ensured, quality requirements for source materials (e.g. limit values for pollutants in terms of health and environmental environmental compatibility and hazardous substances) and permissible proportions of recycled aggregates must be defined. To avoid negative impact on building occupants, the developed building materials have been tested in terms of harmful substances included in the mineral waste as well as emissions into the ambient air. Furthermore, the earthen building products, manufactured from mineral waste, should be free from pollutants to enable a return into the environment. According to the Substitute Building Materials Ordinance (EBV) this corresponds to criterion BM-0. Two different building material developments were used to test the technical feasibility and the pollutant content of the recycled aggregate. T2 - Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2025 CY - Zurich, Switzerland DA - 25.06.2025 KW - Mineral waste KW - Upcycling KW - Earthen building product KW - Circular construction PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63552 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Tang, Chi-Long T1 - Minimizing the FFF-3D printer hardware bias on particle emission by adjustment of the set extruder temperature N2 - Fused filament fabrication (FFF) on desktop 3D printers is a material extrusion-based technique often used by educational institutions, small enterprises and private households. Polymeric filaments are melted and extruded through a heated nozzle to form a 3D object in layers. The extrusion temperature is therefore a key parameter for a successful print job, but also one of the main driving factors for the emission of harmful air pollutants, namely ultrafine particles and volatile organic gases, which are formed by thermal stress on the polymeric feedstock. The awareness of potential health risks has increased the number of emission studies in the past years. However, the multiplicity of study designs makes an objective comparison of emission data challenging because printer hardware factors such as the actual extruder temperature (TE) and also feedstockspecific emissions are not considered. We assume that across the market of commercial low- and mid-price FFF printers substantial deviations between actual and set extruder temperatures exist, which have a strong effect on the emissions and hence may bias the findings of exposure studies. In our last publication, we presented a standardized feedstock-specific emission test method and showed that for each investigated feedstock an increase in actual extruder temperature was accompanied by an increase in particle emissions (Tang and Seeger, 2022). Therefore, any systematic discrepancy between set and actual extruder temperature matters. In this study, we used a thermocouple and an infrared camera to measure the actual extruder temperatures at different heights. We found significant under- and overestimation of the actual extruder temperatures by the respective set temperatures in three commercial printers. This caused a broad variation of the measured total numbers of emitted particles (TP), even when the same feedstock was operated. For the determination of TP, we followed the DE-UZ 219 test guideline. In a second round we repeated the tests with all printers adjusted to exactly the same extruder temperatures, i.e., to TE=230°C for ABS and TE=210°C for PLA. All measurements were conducted in a 1 m³ emission test chamber. Particle emissions in the size range between 4 nm and 20 μm were detected. Printing on three different printer models without temperature adjustment resulted for each of the investigated feedstocks in a variation in TP of around two orders of magnitude. After temperature adjustment, this was substantially reduced to approx. one order of magnitude and hence minimizes the bias of printer hardware on the emissions. Our findings suggest that adjustment of the extruder temperature should be mandatory in emission testing standards. It also poses a more accurate benchmark and provides more reliable emission data for evaluation of indoor air quality or for health risk assessments. In addition, a proper temperature setting is in the interest of the user. Some commercial FFF printers may have a higher actual extruder temperature than displayed and unintended overheating may not only impair the print quality but may cause unnecessarily increased exposure to particle emissions. T2 - European Aerosol Conference 2023 CY - Málaga, Spain DA - 03.09.2023 KW - Ultrafine particles KW - Thermal imaging KW - 3D printing KW - Indoor air quality KW - Emission testing PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58258 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Panorama of Black writing inks: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages N2 - Black writing inks in the period under consideration can be divided into three different classes: soot, tannin and iron-gall ink. The first one is a fine dispersion of carbon pigments in a water-soluble binding agent, the second one is a solution of plant extract from tree barks or gallnuts, while the third one contains both soluble and insoluble phases. This last ink is based on metal (iron) and is produced by a chemical reaction of soluble iron (II) with tannin in aqueous solution. Tracing the transition from writing inks based on carbon pigments (soot or charcoal), common in Antiquity to the iron-gall inks commonly used in the Middle Ages builds a focus of our investigative work at the BAM (Federal Institute of Material Analysis and Testing) [1-5]. With the aim of creating a detailed history of writing black inks, we worked out a non-invasive protocol to collect statistically relevant ink data from dated and localized manuscripts covering a large time span and different geographic areas. The first step of our protocol consists of the screening carried out by means of imaging in the near infrared region. The optical differences between carbon, tannin, and iron-gall inks are best recognized by comparing their response to the infrared light: carbon ink has a deep black colour, iron-gall ink becomes transparent above 1400 nm, and tannin ink disappears at about 750 nm, we have simplified the analysis using a small USB microscope with built-in NIR (940 nm) and UV (395 nm) LED in addition to an external white light source [1]. Comparing the images under white and near infrared illumination, we determine the ink typology by observing the changes in the opacity of the ink. Here, carbon-based inks show no change in their opacity when illuminated with near infrared light, while the opacity of iron-gall inks changes considerably, and tannin inks become transparent. Our own recent finding that mixed carbon / iron-gall inks were quite popular in the late Antiquity and early Middle Ages suggested to return to the conventional method using infrared light in the spectral region 1000 – 1400 nm. The presentation will show the panorama of historic inks and our attempt to follow up the transition of the inks from those based on soot to the iron-gall inks commonly used in the Middle Ages. T2 - Public lecture CY - Manchester, UK DA - 01.02.2024 KW - Ink KW - Historic ink PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61201 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Black writing inks: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages N2 - Tracing the transition from writing inks based on soot, common in Antiquity to the iron-gall inks commonly used in the Middle Ages builds a focus of our investigative work at the BAM and the Centre for the Studies of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) [1-4]. With the aim of creating a detailed history of writing black inks, we worked out a non-invasive protocol to collect statistically relevant ink data from dated and localized manuscripts covering a large time span and different geographic areas. The first step of our protocol consists of the screening carried out by means of the NIR & IRR reflectography. The optical differences between carbon, tannin, and iron-gall inks are best recognized by comparing their response to the infrared light: carbon ink has a deep black color, iron-gall ink becomes transparent above 1400 nm, and tannin ink disappears at about 750 nm, we have simplified the analysis using a small USB microscope with built-in NIR (940 nm) and UV (395 nm) LED in addition to an external white light source [1]. Comparing the images under white and near infrared illumination, we determine the ink typology by observing the changes in the opacity of the ink. Here, carbon-based inks show no change in their opacity when illuminated with NIR wavelength, while the opacity of iron-gall inks changes considerably, and tannin inks become transparent. Our own recent finding that mixed carbon / iron-gall inks were quite popular in the late Antiquity and early Middle Ages suggested to return to the conventional IRR method. The presentation will show the panorama of historic inks and our attempt to follow up the transition of the inks from those based on soot to the iron-gall inks commonly used in the Middle Ages. T2 - Seminar University of Oslo CY - Oslo, Norway DA - 23.09.2022 KW - Ink KW - Historic ink PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-61194 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Unveiling the use of writing materials in Carolingian manuscripts N2 - After having been neglected for a long time, materiality is nowadays of great interest in the study of manuscripts. This allows us to explore the variety (and potential coexistence) of different inks and pigments in type and composition in their use over time and geographical area. In this presentation, we aim to contribute to their study through archaeometric analyses of black and red inks used in Carolingian manuscripts copied between the 8th and the 10th centuries. These analyses are based on an interdisciplinary strategy, bringing together knowledge from the humanities and natural sciences to understand the global use of black and red inks in the Carolingian Empire. In this regard, we adopted a non-invasive protocol that included near-infrared imaging and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for on-site measurements supported by historical and palaeographic analysis. The results have been collected in the framework of two projects at the University of Hamburg in close collaboration with the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, Berlin (BAM) and will be compared with several other archaeometric studies of contemporary manuscripts. T2 - Novel approaches to Digital Codicology CY - Tours, France DA - 10.05.2023 KW - Carolingian manuscripts KW - Historick inks KW - Pigments PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-61199 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Imaging micro-XRF in studies of manuscripts N2 - Availability of mobile XRF-equipment with an interaction spot of ca. 100 µm produced a revolution in the studies of manuscripts. A protocol for the use of line-scans introduced in the beginning of 2000 permitted large scale and extremely successful investigations of the medieval iron-gall inks. Here, we usually focus on a comparison of the characteristic metallic components in the inks. In our work, we encountered cases that could be adequately addressed only using large area imaging XRF. However, conducting an M6 scan on a bound manuscript or on a scroll of huge dimensions is not a simple and easy matter. In our presentation, we want to share our experience by presenting a series of the case studies, in which many an original solution was found. T2 - M6 JETSTREAM European User Meeting CY - London, GB DA - 03.04.2023 KW - Micro-XRF KW - Manuscripts KW - Imaging PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-61198 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Authentic vs. inauthentic Dead Sea Scrolls from the point of view of material analysis N2 - The paper seeks to illuminate the problem of identifying forgeries among the Dead Sea Scrolls from the point of view of material analysis. It will present the sum of our technical knowledge of the skin-based material of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which includes the original treatment of the skins and the resulting typology as well as degradation effects due to their sojourn in caves and post-discovery interventions. We will try then to list the characteristic properties that must be found in the authentic material. We will supplement the presentation with a short description of the relevant methods of material analysis and their contribution to the secure identification of inauthentic Dead Sea Scrolls. T2 - Annual Meeting of the Siciety of Biblical Literature CY - Denver, CO, USA DA - 19.11.2022 KW - Dear Sea Scrolls KW - Forgery PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-61196 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Material analysis - results N2 - The presentations describes the results obtained by material analysis of the writing materials. Their relevance in the field of digital editing and publishing is discussed. T2 - Communicating Revealed Texts: Best Practices for Born-Digital Editions Using Enhanced Imaging CY - Iowa City, IA, USA DA - 29.06.2024 KW - Writing materials KW - Manuscripts KW - Material analysis PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61202 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Advances in Characterization of Written Heritage N2 - The session discusses three brances of teh work on the manuscripts: ink analysis, parchment analysis by proteomics (Matthew Collins) and lipids (Mélanie Roffet-Salque); revealing of hidden text using AI. The example of Vesuvium Challenge is presented and discussed by Bren Seales. T2 - Scientific Methods in Cultural Heritage Research Gordon Research Conference CY - Vaud, Switzerland DA - 07.07.2024 KW - Written Heritage KW - Vesuvius challenge KW - Proteomics KW - Lipids PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61203 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nehring, Grzegorz T1 - Breaking the limits of the non-destructive instrumental analysis of writing inks N2 - The ink analysis protocol developed through cooperation between the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung in Berlin and the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures at the University of Hamburg involves the use of imaging techniques for ink screening, followed by spectroscopic analysis. In our presentation, we will begin by briefly reviewing the history of writing inks and discussing the three main categories: carbon-based inks, plant, and iron-gall inks. We will address their chronology, precursors, and mixed forms, as well as the features that allow for their identification. Then, we will present the techniques we use in ink analysis, whereby we would like to highlight the limitations, advantages, and disadvantages of each approach. Finally, we will discuss the new mass-spectrometric method based on micro-sampling and using atmospheric solid analysis probe (ASAP). T2 - Future of the Past CY - Torun, Poland DA - 14.06.2023 KW - Ink analyses KW - Spectroscopy KW - Mass spectroscopy PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58882 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Black ink from antiquity to the Middle Ages N2 - Il nostro lavoro di ricerca al BAM si concentra sul passaggio dagli inchiostri a base di fuliggine, comuni nell'antichità, agli inchiostri ferro-gallici, comunemente usati nel Medioevo. Con l'obiettivo di creare una storia dettagliata degli inchiostri neri, abbiamo elaborato un protocollo non invasivo per raccogliere dati statisticamente rilevanti sugli inchiostri da manoscritti datati e localizzati che coprono un ampio arco temporale e diverse aree geografiche. Il primo passo del nostro protocollo consiste nella selezione effettuata mediante riflettografia NIR e IRR. Le differenze ottiche tra gli inchiostri a base di carbonio, tannino e ferro-gallio sono meglio riconoscibili confrontando la loro risposta alla luce infrarossa: l'inchiostro a base di carbonio ha un colore nero intenso, l'inchiostro ferro-gallico diventa trasparente al di sopra dei 1400 nm e l'inchiostro a base di tannino scompare a circa 750 nm. abbiamo semplificato l'analisi utilizzando un piccolo microscopio USB con LED NIR (940 nm) e UV (395 nm) integrati, oltre a una fonte di luce bianca esterna. Confrontando le immagini sotto illuminazione bianca e nel vicino infrarosso, determiniamo la tipologia di inchiostro osservando i cambiamenti nell'opacità dell'inchiostro. In questo caso, gli inchiostri a base di carbonio non mostrano alcuna variazione di opacità quando illuminati con lunghezza d'onda NIR, mentre l'opacità degli inchiostri ferro-gallici cambia notevolmente e gli inchiostri tanninici diventano trasparenti. La nostra recente scoperta che gli inchiostri misti carbonio/ferro-gallici erano piuttosto diffusi nella tarda antichità e nell'alto Medioevo ci ha suggerito di tornare al metodo IRR convenzionale. Il secondo passo del protocollo prevede l'analisi micro-XRF per identificare i componenti inorganici dell'inchiostro. Nel caso degli inchiostri ferro-gallici, stabiliamo le impronte digitali, ovvero i rapporti caratteristici tra i componenti vitriolici dell'inchiostro e l'elemento principale, ferro. T2 - 1° SEMINARIO di studi dottorali CY - Benevento, Italy DA - 06.10.2025 KW - Ink KW - Historic ink PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64773 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Ink Analysis of Relic Texts N2 - The presentation will show the multitude of black writing inks in use during the late Antiquity and early Middle Ages in Europa and the Near East and our attempt to follow up the transition of the inks from those based on soot to the iron-gall inks commonly used in the Middle Ages. Black writing inks in the period under consideration can be divided into three different classes: soot, tannin and iron-gall ink. The first one is a fine dispersion of carbon pigments in a water-soluble binding agent, the second one is a solution of plant extract from tree barks or gallnuts, while the third one contains both soluble and insoluble phases. This last ink is based on metal (iron) and is produced by a chemical reaction of soluble iron (II) with tannin in aqueous solution. Tracing the transition from writing inks based on carbon pigments (soot or charcoal), common in Antiquity to the iron-gall inks commonly used in the Middle Ages builds a focus of our investigative work at the BAM (Federal Institute of Material Analysis and Testing). In this context, we will discuss the results of the ink analysis obtained within the project “Crafting documents”. T2 - Heritage Science and Manuscripts from Antiquity and the Middle Ages CY - Oxford, United Kingdom DA - 13.11.2025 KW - Ink KW - Historic ink PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64772 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Material analysis of afghanistan liturgical quire (ALQ) conducted at the BAM N2 - The lecture presents the results of the detailed material analysis of the inks and of the parchment of the Afghanistan Liturgical Quire (ALQ), conducted at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -Prüfung (BAM) in Berlin. Testing was conducted using the following techniques: 3-color photography, 3D-digital microscopy, scanning μ-X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), μ- Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. I will give a short explanation of the principles of the techniques and explain the choice of the instruments. The main task of our work at the BAM required characterization of the inks and comparison of the ink as well as the composition of parchment. For the ink characterization we have followed the protocol developed at the BAM. The standard protocol includes three non-invasive stages: a) near infrared photography (NIRR) to determine the ink type or its main component; b) X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) to determine a fingerprint for iron-gall inks or contaminants in carbon/plant inks; c) Raman spectroscopy if there is an indication that the inks are of a mixed type. For parchment characterization, we usually employ µ-XRF-mapping and FTIR to gain information on specific treatments experienced by the parchment during its preparation and history. T2 - 19th World Congress of Jewish Studies CY - Jerusalem, Israel DA - 04.08.2025 KW - Hebrew Manuscripts KW - Parchment KW - Ink KW - XRF KW - NIR PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64776 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Studies of the black writing inks N2 - In recent years, the interest in the composition of the inks in papyri documents grew exponentially. Different types of inks were found in the period 4th century BCE to 7th century CE. The paper will demonstrate a simple protocol based on comparison of the ink transparency in the near infrared light and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The importance of including ink composition into new catalogues and possible formats of such data will be also presented and discussed. T2 - 31st International Congress of Papyrology CY - Cologne, Germany DA - 28.07.2025 KW - Ink KW - Historic ink KW - Papyrus PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64777 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Inks in Early Medieval Manuscripts from Chelles: a Scientific Study N2 - The talk will start with the overview of the ink types and the methods of their characterisation. After displaying XRF spectra of different Carolingian inks the talk will discuss Chelles collection and the labels attributed to Chelles. We will concentrate then on the study of the Chelles manuscripts preserved in Cologne, Vatican and Paris. We will show that there is a good degree of coincidence between the inks of the Chelles manuscripts and the labels attributed to Chelles. We observe unusually early use of vitriolic ink north of the Alps. T2 - Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC 2025) CY - Leeds, United Kingdom DA - 07.07.2025 KW - Ink KW - Historic ink PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64778 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - The Temple Scroll: Reconstructing an Ancient Manufacturing Practice N2 - The presentation shows the studies of ancient parchment and leather conducted by the authors within last 20 years. Presentation specifically focusses on poduction of the parchment of the Temple scroll. The practice unites the early production of modern parchment with the lost way of skin splitting. T2 - The Temple Scroll: A Research Colloquium CY - New York City, USA DA - 24.02.2025 KW - Dead Sea Scrolls KW - Parchment KW - Tanning PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64779 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Lange, Diana A1 - Hahn, Oliver T1 - Colours on Maps - Purpose and Materiality N2 - Colours are an inseparable attribute of most maps. While colouring seems at first glance simply superficial ‘prettifying’ of maps, most maps were given colours for other reasons: colour is an important key to understanding the function and use of maps. The use of colours, the choice of where to assign them and the meaning given to them has accordingly never been static but has changed over time. In this context, the three aspects: colour system, colour scheme, and colour code are of particular importance. Material scientific analysis makes it possible to find out more about the material composition of colourants (pigments and dyes) on maps. The study of colourants provides insights into the production conditions and use of maps. Furthermore, it offers clues about colour changes and forms the basis for appropriate restoration concepts. T2 - Maps. Digital. Analogue CY - Oxford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland DA - 26.02.2026 KW - Maps KW - Colours KW - Archaeometry KW - Aging PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65599 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Misra, Archismita T1 - Polyoxometalate Ionic Liquids (POM-ILs) as Protective Coatings for CulturalHeritage against Acid Corrosion and Biodeterioration N2 - Corrosion of stone by acid rain anddeterioration from microbial biofilmsare challenges pertinent worldwide forindustrial or residential buildings as wellas cultural heritage artefacts, like statuesor historic buildings. One mitigationoption might be the use of thintransparent films of polyoxometalate-based ionic liquids (POM-ILs). In thisregard, different limestone samples werecoated with hydrophobic, acid resistantPOM-ILs which also have biocidalproperties.1 Exposure of the samples tosimulated acid rain showed negligiblecorrosion compared to the significantdeterioration of unprotected samples(Fig 1. Left). In addition, the biocidalproperties of the POM-ILs suppress theformation of biofilms on coated stoneslabs. The coating is mechanically stableand is not removed even by harshmechanical and chemical treatment.Following studies successfully exploredthe effectiveness of the coating againstlampenflora growing in the PommeryChampagne cellar 2 (Fig 1. Right); andthe long-term performance of POM-ILsunder outdoor environmental conditions3. So, POM-ILs are already proven topossess remarkable anticorrosion andantimicrobial properties against aerobicmicroorganisms and being water-insoluble, they don’t get leached intoaquatic ecosystem, which is extremelybeneficial from an environmentalsustainability and toxicological point ofview. The current project aims tocontinue the journey on protecting thecultural heritage, shifting focus fromstones to metals and employ functionalPOM-IL nanocoatings to prevent MIC(Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion)of cultural heritage artefacts made ofmetal or metal alloy like carbon steel,brass, cast iron or bronze. Performanceof both the coating materials and coatingtechniques via optimization of theadhesion of the nanocoating on themetallic surface on the corrosion rateand corrosion products in the MICcaused by anaerobic microorganismslike methanogenic archaea or SulphateReducing Bacteria (SRB) would betested. The objective is to establishPOM-ILs as efficient environmentallysustainable nanocoating materialsagainst biocorrosion citing the already published success stories; and sketch theongoing endeavours and prospects ofthese very efficient candidates in thecontext of MIC mitigation. T2 - Mitigation of Microbiologically InfluencedCorrosion: Towards Scientific &Industrial Standardization (MIC-STAND) CY - Lisbon, Portugal DA - 24.07.2024 KW - Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) KW - Polyoxometalate Ionic Liquid KW - Nanocoating KW - Cultural heritage PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-64575 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Misra, Archismita T1 - Polyoxometalate Ionic Liquids (POMILs) as Protective Coatings for Cultural Heritage Against Acid Corrosion and Biodeterioration N2 - Corrosion of stone by acid rain anddeterioration from microbial biofilms are challenges worldwide present forindustrial or residential buildings as wellas cultural heritage, like statues orhistoric buildings. One option is the useof thin transparent films ofpolyoxometalate-based ionic liquids(POM-ILs). Stone samples were coatedwith hydrophobic, acid resistant POM-ILs which also have biocidal properties.1Exposure of the samples to simulatedacid rain showed negligible corrosioncompared to the significant deteriorationof unprotected samples (Fig 1. Left). Inaddition, the biocidal properties of thePOM-ILs suppress the formation ofbiofilms on coated stone slabs. Thecoating is mechanically stable and is notremoved even by harsh mechanical andchemical treatment. Following studiessuccessfully explored the effectiveness ofthe coating against lampenflora growingin the Pommery Champagne cellar 2 (Fig1. Right); and the long-termperformance of POM-ILs under outdoorenvironmental conditions 3. So, POM-ILs are already proven to possessremarkable anticorrosion andantimicrobial properties against aerobicmicroorganisms and being water-insoluble, they don’t get leached intoaquatic ecosystem, which is extremelybeneficial from an environmentalsustainability and toxicological point ofview. The current project aims tocontinue the journey on protecting thecultural heritage, shifting focus fromstones to metals and employ functionalPOM-IL nanocoatings to prevent MIC(Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion)of cultural heritage artefacts made ofmetal or metal alloy like carbon steel,brass, cast iron or bronze. Performanceof both the coating materials and coatingtechniques via optimization of theadhesion of the nanocoating on themetallic surface on the corrosion rateand corrosion products in the MICcaused by anaerobic microorganismslike methanogenic archaea or SulphateReducing Bacteria (SRB) would betested. The objective would be toestablish POM-ILs as efficientenvironmentally sustainablenanocoating materials againstbiocorrosion citing the already publishedsuccess stories; and sketch the ongoingendeavours and prospects of these veryefficient candidates in the context ofbiocorrosion T2 - International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Symposium CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 09.09.2024 KW - Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) KW - Polyoxometalate Ionic Liquid KW - Nanocoating KW - Cultural heritage PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-64576 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -