Glass in Cultural Heritage – An Introduction

Abstract

A brief description of different types of silicate glasses is made and the origin of colour in glasses is discussed. The principles of corrosion in glass, illustrated with a few examples, will be explained. Applications of several techniques in the chemical characterization of glasses will be shown, namely X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Optical Absorption Spectroscopy and Laser Ablation Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (LA-FTICR/MS), and Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE).