Instrumental analysis techniques :

1. Ultraviolet light: It enables us to distinguish additions, repaints and varnishes, due to the different fluorescence and reflection of the materials, illuminating the work with ultraviolet radiation.

2. Infrared reflectography: It enables us to study the underlying drawing of the paint layers based on the optical properties of the materials, exposed to infrared radiation. A sensitive camera processes the radiation reflected by the  object and a mosaic of images or reflectograms is obtained.

3. Optical microscopy: Preparations of samples are observed at different magnifications and with different illumination techniques to determine morphologies, distributions of particles and layers, sizes or colours.

4. Electronic microscopy: It enables us to obtain high-resolution black and white images at large magnifications, which tell us about the morphology and the chemical composition of the sample. It makes it possible to obtain spectra of chemical elements.

5. Infrared spectroscopy: It enables us to identify chemical compounds through characteristic spectra, resulting from the interaction of IR energy radiation with the material’s molecular links.