Resumen de Microfocus spectroscopy experiments on mineral deposits and in cultural heritage science at Diamond Light Source.
Josep Roque Rosell, Joaquin Antonio Proenza Fernández, Nicholas Eastaugh, Màrius Vendrell Saz, Frederick Mosselmans
Third generation synchrotrons allowed to perform experiments which had a major impact in the field of environmental science and related disciplines such as mineralogy and cultural heritage. This paper presents some basic concepts on synchrotron radiation and the fundamentals of X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy — XAFS —are introduced and accompaigned with three examples on cultural heritage and mineralogy with the aim to show the opportunities those XAFS techniques provide. The first example is the study lustre ceramics found in an archaeological site in Paterna to elucidate how they were produced, the second example is related to the systematic study of vermillion pigments from across Europe and Asia to target possible useful trace elements involved in their decay, and finally a third example is shown related to the study of a mineralogical problem aiming to understand the speciation and association of Ni in a laterite from Moa Bay (Cuba) where the sorption of Ni on Mn oxyhydroxides is taking place.
