Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry appointed to subserve pigment identification

Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used apart from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman spectroscopy (RS) to support identification of inorganic pigments from historic oil painting. Samples in form of tiny particles were collected from painting layer during conservation processes. Detection of lead white (2PbCO3·Pb(OH)2); Naples yellow (Pb2Sb2O7); lead‑tin‑antimony yellow (Pb2SnSbO6.5); ochre (Fe2O3); ultramarine (Na8–10Al6Si6O24S2–4); smalt (CoO·nSiO2); cadmium yellow (CdS); malachite (2CuCO3·Cu(OH)2); chrome yellow (PbCrO4); ceruleum (CoSnO3), chalk (CaCO3); Schweinfurt green, Cu(C2H3O2)2·3Cu(AsO2)2; vermilion (HgS) and carbon black (C) is documented in this work. The aim of this study was to estimate eventual benefits for using LA-ICP-MS to attain coherent elemental and molecular information of paint micro-samples for cross-checking the reliability of their chemical identification. The use of LA-ICP-MS was helpful to get detailed elemental data for some mixtures of pigments when only microscopic amount of material was available for examinations.