Study of glass decay by x‐ray absorption spectroscopy

Resumen del trabajo presentado al LII Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio celebrado en Burgos del 3 al 6 de octubre de 2012.
Scientific analyses of historical glass samples (both archaeological glasses and glasses from stained glass windows) are crucial to complement historical knowledge, optimize restoration and conservation procedures, and improve preservation strategies (storage and exposure conditions). XAS techniques (X‐Ray absorption spectroscopy) have demonstrated to be useful in the structural characterization of different types of materials (coordination numbers, chemical nature of bondings, symmetries, etc), including historical ones, as metals and ceramics in a non‐invasive way. In the present study we have used synchrotron radiation to characterize the conservation state of some original historical glasses from different provenances and periods. Experiments carried out at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BM25 Branch A Beamline) enabled the identification of the oxidation state of some glass chromophores (Fe, Mn and Cu ions); the characterization of their near environment at atomic scale and, additionally, with some ions it was able to establish a relationship between the molecular environment of the glass chromophore and the superficial degradation state of the historical glass.