Catania Section

PH3DRA (PHysics for Dating, Diagnostics, Dosimetry Research and Applications) laboratories of Catania section deal with analyses, both in laboratory and in situ, for the characterization and dating of archeo-materials. In particular, they have the skills and the instrumentation for absolute dating of terracotta and sediments respectively with TL (ThermoLuminescence) and OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence). The researchers of the section work also in the field of compositional characterization of a wide types of materials(paintings, gems, glasses, pottery…) by Raman spectroscopy and of optical behaviour by colorimetric and spectrophotometric investigation for the specification of the colour.

Available techniques:

Dating:                ThermoLuminescence

Optically Stimulated Luminescence

MOLab:              Raman Spectroscopy

Colorimetry

South National Laboratories

The South National Laboratories research group is involved in situ analyses with portable instrumentation based on non invasive X-Ray spectroscopy (XRF and PIXE) and diffraction (XRD) techniques. In particular, the team work with imaging methodologies characterized by fast scanning (up to 200 mm/sec) and also useful to investigate artworks of big dimensions (up to 3×2 meters). Depending on the applications, the spatial resolution of the images, with these methodologies, can be reach the 15 micron in resolution. The research activities regard the characterization of a wide types of antique materials (historical pigments painted on different backgrounds, metals, pottery, glasses, inks etc).

Available techniques:

X-Ray Diffraction

Alfa PIXE

Imaging XRF

Confocal Scan XRF

Ion beam analysis(PIXE, PIGE, BS, IL, DPAA)