Introduction

The proposed invention consists of an apparatus and method for analyzing the state of deterioration of artifacts made of parchment and leather. The method makes it possible to quantify the degree of deterioration of the materials by means of a light transmission apparatus of analysis, integrated with an optical microscopy system in polarized light.

Technical features

The apparatus consists of: a monochromatic light source (laser); an optical detector; a thermally controlled environment; an integrated polarized light microscopy system for collecting the images; an apparatus for the automatic control of the measurements.

Possible Applications

The invention enables:

• The analysis of the state of preservation of leather/parchment in the industrial and cultural heritage preservation fields;
• The study of proteins with interest in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic manufacturing fields.

Advantages

The invention makes it possible to quantitatively analyze the deterioration state of parchment by:

• Providing images of the microscopic structure;
• Identifying collagen populations with different deterioration state;
• Characterizing the deterioration process with optical measurements.