Determining Gold Thickness in Multilayer Samples by Measuring the Intensity Ratio of the Au-Lα/Fe-Kα X-Ray
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Multilayer samples are used in a wide range of sectors for their functionality. In the field of cultural heritage, multilayer samples are also common, as in the case of gilded or silvered alloys in the pigment layers in paintings. The X-ray ratios Lα/Lβ, Kα/Kβ, or K/L for an element or for different elements in a multilayer sample depend on the chemical composition and thickness of the superimposed layers and on the chemical composition and thickness of the layer in which the element is situated. Gold decorations of paintings on wood represent examples of multilayered structures and, for this reason, it is important to be able to determine the thickness of the gold layer. In the present paper, gold coatings of several paintings on gilded wood, by Italian artist Taddeo Gaddi (1300–1366 AD), were examined using portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) in order to calculate the thickness of the gold layer on ochre by measuring the intensity ratio of the Au-Lα/Fe-Kα X-ray. The experimental results obtained showed that the gold leaves used by the artist have a thickness of approximately 0.3 to 0.4 µm; this also demonstrates the artist’s remarkable ability in creating the gilding.
Source: Heritage
Institutions: University of Salento, University of Sassari
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,930
OpenAlex ID: W4407517295