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Collection of historical materials

Our institute has a valuable historical materials collection of the 19th and 20th centuries. Approximately 400 inorganic pigments, about 800 synthetic organic pigments and dyes as well as about 490 organic binders (natural and synthetic resins), polymers, additives, metal soaps, different raw materials, etc. are included in the collection.

As such collections are very valuable and unique sources of reference materials, all samples have been cataloged in a Microsoft Access® database in recent years. In addition, every single colorant has been investigated using XRF, XRD, FTIR, and µ-Raman spectroscopy in order to characterize its elemental composition as well as its molecular and crystallographic structure. All results and spectral information (e.g. main components, trace elements, crystallographic structure, spectra in JPEG-format, etc.) are updated in the database.

The existing database was transferred to an SQL-based and web-enabled database. This means that all available information including the XRF and FTIR spectra as well as XRD diffractograms can be queried using a search function and are therefore easily accessible to the scientific community.

We currently have the first trial version that is in progress.