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Synchrotron applications in archaeometallurgy: Analysis of high zinc brass astrolabes
- Source :
- Powder Diffraction. 19:12-15
- Publication Year :
- 2004
- Publisher :
- Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2004.
-
Abstract
- Synchrotron X rays were used to perform nondestructive transmission diffraction and fluorescence experiments on a group of 24 European and Islamic astrolabes dated between 1350–1720 A.D. in order to determine their compositions. A group of six astrolabes produced in Lahore between 1601–1662 A.D. were found to contain a mixed α+β brass microstructure, proving that the brass was produced by a comelting technique rather than the traditional cementation process. The results also show evidence of dezincification, attributed to heavy annealing of the brass during astrolabe manufacture. This effect was so severe that an accurate analysis of the bulk Zn composition could not be determined from the fluorescence results alone; transmission X-ray diffraction gives a more accurate measurement of the bulk Zn composition.
- Subjects :
- Diffraction
Radiation
Materials science
Annealing (metallurgy)
Archaeometallurgy
Metallurgy
chemistry.chemical_element
Zinc
Condensed Matter Physics
Microstructure
Synchrotron
law.invention
Brass
chemistry
Cementation process
law
visual_art
visual_art.visual_art_medium
General Materials Science
Instrumentation
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19457413 and 08857156
- Volume :
- 19
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Powder Diffraction
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........99167631efb5526ae66b06ee9f3947b2