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Characterizing the Image Forming Particles of Modern Ungilded Daguerreotypes Using XRD and SEM

Part of: Micrographia Collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2019

Patrick Ravines  and
Alexander Y. Nazarenko
Patrick Ravines*
Affiliation:
The Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Art Conservation Department, State University of New York College at Buffalo, 1300 Elmwood Avenue – Rockwell Hall 230, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA
Alexander Y. Nazarenko
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, State University of New York College at Buffalo, 1300 Elmwood Avenue – Science and Mathematics Complex 164, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA
*
*Author for correspondence: Patrick Ravines, E-mail: ravinepc@buffalostate.edu
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Abstract

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used to characterize the silver mercury amalgam particles resting on the surface that comprise the image of five daguerreotype plates that were not gilded and that were prepared by three different contemporary daguerreotype makers. The regions of interest of the surface that were examined were overexposed, solarized, and highlight (white) areas. The XRD portion of the study shows that the two main silver mercury amalgam particles identified using the International Center for Diffraction Data PF4 + database were the Schachnerite/ζ (zeta) phase amalgam, Ag1.1Hg0.9, and the mercury silver amalgam, Ag0.65Hg0.35. On one of the daguerreotypes a third silver mercury amalgam, Moschellandsbergite, Ag2Hg3, was also identified in small concentrations. High-resolution SEM images corroborate the diffraction data and show that the crystalline nature of the silver mercury amalgam particles on all five plates to be mostly hexagonal, which would correspond to the Schachnerite/ζ (zeta) phase amalgam, and fewer rectangular solid and cubic crystals corresponding to the mercury silver amalgam.

Keywords

Ungilded daguerreotypesXRDSEMschachneritesilver mercury amalgam
Type
Micrographia
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , August 2019 , pp. 1037 - 1051
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2019 

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