Background: In forensic ballistics, identifying ammunition types on physical evidence is critical, particularly when metallic residues are minimal. This study comparatively analyzes the elemental signatures deposited by two common projectiles—F...
Quantitative mineralogy plays a vital role in exploration geology by defining mineral assemblages, identifying metal-bearing phases, and providing clues to optimize ore processing. In peraluminous rare-metal granites such as those at Beauvoir (France...
Micro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (micro-XRF) integrates spatial and spectral information and is widely employed for multi-elemental analyses of rock-forming minerals. However, its inherent limitation in spatial resolution gives rise to significa...
Germanium is considered a critical element, with a demand that has sharply increased due to booming high-technology industries. To understand Ge incorporation mechanisms in natural systems, we investigate Ge speciation in Cu-bearing sulfide minerals...
Cnidarians are among the most important diploblastic organisms, elucidating many of the early stages of Metazoan evolution. However, Cnidarian fossils from Cambrian deposits have been rarely documented, mainly due to difficulties in identifying early...
Biosolids (Bs) for use in agriculture are an important way for introducing and transferring TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) to plants and food chain. Roots of Pisum sativum L. plants grown in Bs-amended soils spiked with TiO2 800 mg/kg as rutile NPs, anatas...
We investigated and presented our results for the dependence of the characteristics of the crystalline and grain structures of the PCR-13 material (based on the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) system), which was sintered in various ways, on the regulat...
Black mass is the industry term applied to end-of-life (EoL) lithium-ion batteries that have been mechanically processed for potential use as a recycled material to recover the valuable metals present, including cobalt, lithium, manganese, nickel and...
In most cases, sponge fossils are preserved as isolated spicules, with complete sponge body fossils largely confined to Konservat-Lagerstätten. Although the classification and diversity of sponges and their isolated spicules have been extensivel...
This study evaluates wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) for the quantification of iron and other major elements in archeological ochre, employing a borate-flux fusion technique adapted for small sample quantities. Cross-sectional microX...
The investigation on tin (Sn) whiskers formation has been widely applied in the field of lead-free electronic packaging. This is due to the fact that use of the Sn–Pb finishes has converted to Pb-free finishes in the electronic industry. Sn whiskers...
A geopolymer has been reckoned as a rising technology with huge potential for application across the globe. Dolomite refers to a material that can be used raw in producing geopolymers. Nevertheless, dolomite has slow strength development due to its l...
Analytical studies of archeological materials often face challenges, such as the merging of heterogeneous, multidimensional datasets from complementary analytical techniques, and incorporating site- and user-defined parameters. In this study, a data...
Northern Chile is home to the world’s largest copper ore deposits, which have been exploited for thousands of years by different groups, at varying scales and for different purposes. In this context, it is important to develop new protocols to...
Reduced activation ferritic and martensitic steel like EUROFER (9Cr-1W) are considered as potential structural materials for the first wall of the future next-generation DEMOnstration Power Station (DEMO) fusion reactor and as a reference material fo...
A core component of energy storage systems like vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) is the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). In this work, the frequently used perfluorosulfonic-acid (PFSA) membrane Nafion™ 117 and a novel poly (vinylidene difluori...
This work describes a holistic archaeometric approach to ancient Macedonian specimens. In the region of the ancient city Lete, the deceased members of a rich and important family were interred in a cluster of seven tombs (4th century BC). Among the n...
The main goal of this study was to identify potential chemical elements present in three types of polymetallic mine waste, stored in the old mine site of São Domingos, located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, Alentejo, Southern Region of Portugal....
In the present work, a fragment of a stone mould recently found in Galicia (NW Spain) was studied by multiple analytical techniques approach involving 3D optical imaging reconstruction to obtain data about the shape of the mould, typology of artefact...
Sulphur is the third most abundant volatile element in deep Earth systems. Analytical methods for accurately and efficiently determining the sulphur content and oxidation state in natural minerals are still lacking. Natural apatite is widely distribu...
Stone coal is an important vanadium-bearing resource and a potential source of rare earth elements (REEs). Previous studies have mainly focused on the bulk occurrence, resource potential, and leaching behavior of V or REEs in stone coal, whereas the...
Chromium slag sites pose severe environmental risks due to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) contamination, characterized by high mobility and toxicity. This study focused on chromium-contaminated soil from a historical chromium slag site in North China,...
Axinite crystals from the type locality (Oisans, French Alps) are considered among the more remarkable specimens known for their quality (lustre, colour, size, and purity) and crystalline forms. However, they have been the subject of only a few in-de...
In this study, we adopt a geometallurgical analytical approach common in mineral processing in the characterization of samples of shredded waste printed circuit board (PCB) E-waste, originating from Europe. Conventionally, bulk chemical analysis prov...
Slags from the metallurgical recycling process are an important source of resources classified as critical elements by the EU. One example is lithium from Li-ion battery recycling. In this context, the thermodynamic properties of the recycled compone...
In this study, growth and ionomic responses of three duckweed species were analyzed, namely Lemna minor, Landoltia punctata, and Spirodela polyrhiza, were exposed for short-term periods to hexavalent chromium or nickel under laboratory conditions. It...
The high concentration of trace elements in Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is an important research topic for quality control. This study investigated the total concentration of trace elements in three herbs used as both medicine and supplementary foo...
Gutta-percha points and root canal sealers have been used for decades in endodontics for root canal obturation. With techniques such as single cone methods, the amount of sealer is larger, making their properties more critical. However, relatively fe...
Scanning micrο X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) and multispectral imaging (MSI) were applied to study philately stamps, selected for their small size and intricate structures. The μ-XRF measurements were accomplished using the M6 Jetstream Br...
The ceramic pastes of ca. 31 samples recovered from the Almaraz archaeological site, located in the south bench of Tagus River, were studied in detail using XRF, micro-Raman and GSDR spectroscopies, as well as the XRD technique. The ceramic sherds co...
This study presents an archaeometric characterization of fifteen blue-and-white Chinese porcelain sherds (17th–19th centuries) from the Jingdezhen, Anxi, and Dehua kiln systems, compared with fragments recovered from the Santana Convent (Lisbon...
Twelve sherds of blue-and-white Chinese porcelains recovered from archaeological excavations in the Santana Convent (Ming and Qing Dynasties) in Lisbon were studied using several non-invasive spectroscopies, namely micro-Raman, X-ray Fluorescence (XR...
This paper presents a multi-analytical investigation performed for the study of the ecclesiastical vestment, with insignia, of Pope Pius VII, painted from the end of the 18th up to the beginning of the 19th century, made of five clothing elements: ch...
The present study introduces a novel two-step multi-analytical approach for studying lustre ceramics, aiming to minimize damage to valuable artifacts. The method combines a completely non-destructive preliminary micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) a...
This paper presents a preliminary scientific investigation of pigments used by Martiros Sarian, a prominent Armenian artist known for his vibrant and evocative paintings. The study focuses on five of Sarian’s paintings from different periods of...
This study describes the composition and provenance of dense bodies or structures present in uncharred plant vestiges recovered at Monte Castelo (6000–700 cal. AP-SW Amazonia). It aimed to disclose some aspects of this plant remains’ inte...
This work describes the characterization of pigments and ground layers in two paintings by the renowned Argentinian painter Antonio Berni (1905–1981). The studied paintings are “Toledo” and “Figure” from the collection o...
The Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto houses a collection of 45 models of fungi in papier-mâché from the 19th-century, which were used at the university until 2015 as didactic models. For the first time, the m...
Rapid characterization of conserved tree germplasm can strengthen ex situ conservation as global change intensifies pressures on forest biodiversity. We evaluated whether NIR–micro-XRF phenotyping can resolve complementary signatures across all...
This study documents the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of three nickel reference materials for the battery minerals industry: ¼ drill cores of typical nickel-rich ores, centimeter-sized chips of run-of-mine ore, and finely grou...
In this paper, a methodological approach based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) working in the short-wave infrared range (1000–2500 nm) was developed and applied for the recycling-oriented characterization of post-earthquake building waste. In more det...
This work is the first scientific study of khipu dyes and inorganic mordants and auxiliaries, paving the way for a new approach to understanding khipus’ meaningful materiality, technology, and colours. Khipus have usually been described as &ldq...
With mineral in situ testing technology and ore deposit geochemistry development, calcite has become a hot topic in studying carbonate minerals. Four large-grain calcite crystals from Fujian, China, were used for a detailed study. This study provides...
The use of gold for artefact productions underwent substantial developments during Iron Age in western Europe, with the diversification of alloy compositions and the introduction of new technologies and aesthetics. This work presents a detailed study...
Findings of Iron Age metallurgical activities related to tin metal and mining are very rare. In the present work, we present a detailed study of the Outeiro de Baltar hillfort, dated to the Late Iron Age/Early Roman period, located in a place where 2...
Soil contamination by heavy metals and organic pollutants presents significant challenges to the global environment and public health. However, a lack of micro-scale understanding of the pollution process hinders efforts to remediate and enhance soil...
The longevity, site fidelity, and trophic position of freshwater turtles have led to their increasing recognition as useful bioindicators of environmental contamination. Mauremys leprosa (n = 25) shells from a Northern African wetland system were exa...
Titanites can be excellent markers of element transfer in medium-temperature retrograde metamorphism. Euhedral titanites from several alpine fissures from Mont Blanc, particularly those of Périades and Courtes, crystallised at the end of the m...
Three commercial red–white banded rhodochrosite samples sold as Argentine “Rosa del Inca” material were investigated using conventional gemological observation, mineralogical analysis, micro-area chemical analysis, and spectroscopy....
The increasing popularity of macroalgae products highlights their potential as a safe source of essential macro and microelements for consumers. This study characterized wild and farmed macroalgae elemental composition and assessed the presence of bi...
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