Vanadium, atomic number 23, holds some importance in the analysis of modern and contemporary art due to its presence in certain modern pigments. Its properties, such as the ability to produce bright, lightfast colors, make it particularly valuable for outdoor applications. This lesson explores vanadium’s role in art examination and its spectral characteristics in X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, with a focus on the bismuth vanadate yellow pigment.
Objectives
- Understand the relevance of vanadium in modern and contemporary art.
- Recognize the characteristics of vanadium’s X-ray spectral lines in XRF analysis.
- Analyze spectral data from pure vanadium and bismuth vanadate yellow pigments using XRF spectroscopy.
- Apply the low-kev filter setup for detecting vanadium in pigment samples.
Materials
- XRF spectrometer with low-kev filter setup
- Pure vanadium cube
- Bismuth vanadate yellow pigment (from Pigments Checker)
Lesson Plan
1. Introduction to Vanadium in Art
- Discuss the significance of vanadium in the context of modern and contemporary art.
- Highlight its use in pigments, particularly bismuth vanadate yellow, for outdoor applications.
2. X-Ray Characteristics of Vanadium
- Introduce the K-alpha (4.9 keV) and K-beta (5.4 keV) X-ray lines of vanadium.
- Conduct XRF analysis with the low-kev filter setup, highlighting the high-intensity peaks achieved.
4. Analyzing Bismuth Vanadate Yellow
- Perform XRF analysis on the bismuth vanadate yellow pigment using the Pigments Checker.
- Explain the role of the low-kev filter setup in detecting vanadium peaks at lower counts.
