FTIR Spectroscopy in Cultural Heritage Studies: Non-destructive Analysis of Chinese Handmade Papers

Chinese handmade papers have been the carriers of paper-based documents, paintings and calligraphies, which are of great importance for historical and cultural heritage studies. This research developed the attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared(ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic technique for the analysis of Chinese handmade papers. The test was applied to Chinese handmade papers taken from bark, hemp and bamboo groups, followed by papers from ancient books and arts collected in library and museum. Our study indicated that FTIR was an efficient analytical method to identify fiber types of library/museum papers of unknown origin. Moreover, information about degree of crystallinity and state of deterioration of cellulosic fibers was learned from FTIR spectra. This research provides a non-destructive method to study the molecular structure of cellulosic fibers, and guides the selection of appropriate Chinese handmade papers for the restoration of cultural heritage objects.