Australian scientists have used a device initially designed for the mining industry to analyse the mineral content of pigments on wooden objects of cultural significance. 
Aboriginal Australian people use mineral pigments such as kaolinite and hematite to decorate wood, bark, resin and other organic substances. The analysis of these materials in a non-destructive way can be extremely challenging. In objects with elaborate designs, what is needed is a technique that can analyse point-by-point and map out the pigments on the surface of the object.
To read the full article by Rebecca Brodie, please visit Chemistry World.
HyLogger™ near-infrared spectral analysis: a non-destructive mineral analysis of Aboriginal Australian objects
Rachel S. Popelka-Filcoff, Alan Mauger, Claire E. Lenehan, Keryn Walshe and Allan Pring
Anal. Methods, 2014,6, 1309-1316
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY41436A, Paper
