Authentication by the study of the nature of the materials present in the object

Techniques allowing the analysis of the composition of the materials

Emission spectrometries

a. Principle :

consists in exciting the atoms of elements to identify and titrate in order to obtain a distinctive radiation when they return to their stable state

b. Example :

X-rays micro-fluorescence uses as an excitation source an electron beam which stimulates the electrons of the substance to be analysed so that the corpuscles, coming back to their stable condition, emit secundary X-rays which are typical of the present elements. This technique is not a properly so called spectrometry because the source does not belong to the category of electromagnetic radiations

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c. Limits :

X-rays micro-fluorescence is not suitable for the identification of organic materials ; one should then use mass spectrometry, visible UV spectroscopy or IR spectrometry

Other techniques of analysis of the composition of the materials : ultramicroanalysis