Application of XRF spectrometry to the study of pigments in glazed ceramic pots

Non-destructive techniques for analysis of components of a sample are very useful, and indeed essential, when the samples are unique, such as works of art, including not only pieces exhibited and preserved in museums, but also archaeological structures belonging to a historical and cultural heritage. X-ray fluorescence analysis is a suitable technique for these kinds of pieces and objects that must neither be damaged nor moved. In this work, an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRFS), assembled at the University of Extremadura (Badajoz, Spain), has been applied to the study of pigments in the decorative paints of modern ceramics of known and unknown origins.