Cultural heritage objects are subject to imminent time degradation, the effects of which can be significantly slowed down by carrying out appropriate conservation-restoration procedures. However, due to lack of knowledge on the composition and stability of the materials used, the opposite effect often occurs. Chemical analysis of materials is therefore of crucial importance when planning the restoration and maintenance of such objects.
The aim of my research work was to identify binders, present in oil paint samples from paint tubes and artworks of the painter Edvard Munch, using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.
For reference when identifying binders in real samples, I used model samples of drying oils. In addition to analyzing the samples with an established method, I also used a method with maximally reduced amount of added reagents. The purpose of such adaptation of the method was the analysis of extremely small amounts of samples, but it turned out that the additional optimization of the method would be necessary before further use.
I was able to confirm the presence of drying oils as binders, mostly in combination with waxes, in all of the paint samples from the tubes. I was also able to identify the type of oil used (linseed, poppy or walnut oil) for most of the samples from the tubes. The characterization of binder in the real samples from paintings was only possible for one sample. Despite the adaptation of the method, I was unable to identify the binder in other samples, taken from the paintings, dues to the insufficient amount of samples.
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