Visualization of defects in glass through pulsed thermography

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Archaeometry
• Non-Destructive Testing

Background:

• Archaeological glass artifacts degrade over time due to burial conditions.
• Assessing the conservation status of these artifacts is vital for preservation.
• Surface defects, such as flaking, are common degradation indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate pulsed thermography for identifying and mapping defects in archaeological glass.
• To assess the conservation status of ancient glass using thermal imaging.
• To investigate the efficacy of different heating and signal processing methods for defect detection.

Main Methods:

• Pulsed thermography was applied to glass samples.
• Defect detection was performed using various heating configurations.
• Different signal-processing algorithms were compared for optimal results.
• Tests were conducted on both artificial defect mockups and actual archaeological artifacts.

Main Results:

• Pulsed thermography successfully mapped the presence of flakes and other surface defects in archaeological glass.
• The study identified optimal heating setups and signal-processing algorithms for this application.
• The technique provided a clear indication of the glass conservation status.

Conclusions:

• Pulsed thermography is a viable non-destructive method for assessing the condition of archaeological glass.
• The technique can effectively identify degradation features like flaking.
• This approach supports informed conservation strategies for fragile ancient glass.