Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Characterization and evaluation of UV-irradiation aging of urushi by micro-UV/Py-GC/MS system

  • Article
  • Published:
Science China Technological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Lacquer is the main raw material of lacquerware, while UV-irradiation is an important factor leading to its aging. In order to investigate the aging behavior of urushi lacquer film under UV-irradiation, and to propose parameters that can be used to evaluate its aging degree, the micro-UV/Py-GC/MS system has been applied in the present work to enrich and identify volatile products released by urushi film during aging on the one hand, and to investigate micro-amount and conventional urushi films with different aging degrees on the other hand, in addition, representative historical samples have also been investigated. Volatile products released by urushi film demonstrate that during UV-irradiation, polysaccharides wrapping urushiol polymer would be first degraded to generate furans and alcohols, and then urushiol polymer would undergo photo-oxidation and break of molecular chain, mainly generating oxidation products including aldehydes, organic acids, and ketones, as well as a small number of alkyl benzenes and hydrocarbons. Py-GC/MS analysis of micro-amount urushi films with different aging degrees indicates that UV-irradiation is more destructive to aliphatic chains in urushiol polymer, but it also can accelerate the polymerization of micro-amount urushi film. Py-GC/MS analysis of conventional urushi films indicates that with the increase of aging degree, the total chromatographic peak area ratio of hydrocarbons to benzene derivatives gradually increases, the peak area ratio of 3-pentadecenyl-catechol to 3-pentadecyl-catechol gradually decreases, and the peak area ratio of aging products of urushiol to 3-pentadecyl-catechol gradually increases. The above parameters were further used to evaluate the aging degree of two urushi-contained samples separately collected from the surface and interior of a carved lacquer panel in the Forbidden City, and evaluation results are in accord with the natural aging law and further verify the reliability of the proposed parameters. Research results of the present work can lay a foundation for the in-depth study of the UV-irradiation aging mechanism of urushi.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Tamburini D. Analytical pyrolysis applied to the characterisation and identification of Asian lacquers in cultural heritage samples—A review. J Anal Appl Pyrol, 2021, 157: 105202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lu R, Yoshida T, Miyakoshi T. Oriental lacquer: A natural polymer. Polym Rev, 2013, 53: 153–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Rong L, Yukio K, Tetsuo M. Characterization of lipid components of Melanorrhoea usitata lacquer sap. Talanta, 2007, 71: 1536–1540

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Niimura N. Determination of the type of lacquer on East Asian lacquer ware. Int J Mass Spectrometry, 2009, 284: 93–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Le Hô A S, Regert M, Marescot O, et al. Molecular criteria for discriminating museum Asian lacquerware from different vegetal origins by pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Anal Chim Acta, 2012, 710: 9–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Kumanotani J. Enzyme catalyzed durable and authentic oriental lacquer: A natural microgelprintable coating by poly-saccharide-glycoprotein-phenolic lipid complexes. Prog Org Coatings, 1998, 34: 135–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Oshima R, Yamauchi Y, Watanabe C, et al. Enzymic oxidative coupling of urushiol in sap of the lac tree, Rhus vernicifera. J Org Chem, 1985, 50: 2613–2621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Yang J, Chen N, Zhu J, et al. Polymerization mechanism of natural lacquer sap with special phase structure. Sci Rep, 2020, 10: 12867

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Wu M, Zhang B, Jiang L, et al. Natural lacquer was used as a coating and an adhesive 8000 years ago, by early humans at Kuahuqiao, determined by ELISA. J Archaeol Sci, 2018, 100: 80–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Mcsharry C, Faulkner R, Rivers S, et al. The chemistry of East Asian lacquer: A review of the scientific literature. Stud Conserv, 2007, 52: 29–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Ogawa T, Arai K, Osawa S. Light stability of oriental lacquer films irradiated by a fluorescent lamp. J Polyms Environ, 1998, 6: 59–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Le Hô A S, Duhamel C, Daher C, et al. Alteration of Asian lacquer: In-depth insight using a physico-chemical multiscale approach. Analyst, 2013, 138: 5685–5696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Tamburini D, Bonaduce I, Ribechini E, et al. Challenges in the data analysis of Asian lacquers from museum objects by pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. J Anal Appl Pyrol, 2020, 151: 104905

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Schilling M R, Heginbotham A, van Keulen H, et al. Beyond the basics: A systematic approach for comprehensive analysis of organic materials in Asian lacquers. Stud Conserv, 2016, 61: 3–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Tamburini D, Bonaduce I, Colombini M P. Characterization and identification of urushi using in situ pyrolysis/silylation-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Anal Appl Pyrol, 2015, 111: 33–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Tamburini D, Sardi D, Spepi A, et al. An investigation into the curing of urushi and tung oil films by thermoanalytical and mass spectrometric techniques. Polym Degradation Stability, 2016, 134: 251–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Tamburini D, Pescitelli G, Colombini M P, et al. The degradation of Burmese lacquer (thitsi) as observed in samples from two cultural artefacts. J Anal Appl Pyrol, 2017, 124: 51–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Narita C, Yamada K, Tsujii T. Solvent influence on crosslinking and surface characteristics of Urushi films. Mater Chem Phys, 2017, 199: 387–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Watanabe C, Tsuge S, Ohtani H. Development of new pyrolysis-GC/MS system incorporated with on-line micro-ultraviolet irradiation for rapid evaluation of photo, thermal, and oxidative degradation of polymers. Polym Degradation Stability, 2009, 94: 1467–1472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Yuzawa T, Watanabe C, Tsuge S, et al. Application of a pyrolysis-GC/MS system incorporating with micro-UV irradiation to rapid evaluation of the weatherability of acrylic coating paints for house exterior walls. Polym Degradation Stability, 2011, 96: 91–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Yuzawa T, Watanabe C, Nemoto N, et al. Rapid evaluation of photo, thermal and oxidative degradation of high impact polystyrene by a xenon lamp-based online ultraviolet irradiation-pyrolysis-GC/MS system. Polym Degradation Stability, 2013, 98: 671–676

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Wang N, Zhang T, Min J, et al. Analytical investigation into materials and technique: Carved lacquer decorated panel from Fuwang Ge in the Forbidden City of Qianlong Period, Qing Dynasty. J Archaeol Sci-Rep, 2018, 17: 529–537

    Google Scholar 

  23. Wang N, Liu J, He L, et al. Characterization of Chinese lacquer in historical artwork by on-line methylation pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Anal Lett, 2014, 47: 2488–2507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Lu R, Yoshida T. Structure and molecular weight of Asian lacquer polysaccharides. Carbohydrate Polyms, 2003, 54: 419–424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Stepek J, Daoust H. Additives for Plastics. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media, 2012

    Google Scholar 

  26. Xing Q Y, Pei W W, Xu R Q, et al. Basic Organic Chemistry (in Chinese). Beijing: Peking University Press, 2016

    Google Scholar 

  27. Zhou Q, Zhang H, Zhou Y, et al. Surface weathering and changes in components of microplastics from estuarine beaches. Chin Sci Bull, 2018, 63: 214–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Conservation Science, The Palace Museum, Beijing, 100009, China

    Na Wang, An Gu & Yong Lei

Authors
  1. Na Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. An Gu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yong Lei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yong Lei.

Additional information

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21904024). The authors would like to thank Michael R. Schilling from the Getty Conservation Institute for providing and teaching how to use the RAdICAL expert system.

Supporting Information

The supporting information is available online at https://tech.scichina.com and https://link.springer.com. The supporting materials are published as submitted, without typesetting or editing. The responsibility for scientific accuracy and content remains entirely with the authors.

Electronic supplementary material

Table S1

Pyrolysis products of micro-amount urushi films, conventional urushi films and urushi-contained historical samples analyzed by on-line methylated Py-GC/MS

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, N., Gu, A. & Lei, Y. Characterization and evaluation of UV-irradiation aging of urushi by micro-UV/Py-GC/MS system. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 66, 2258–2270 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-022-2439-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-022-2439-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation