Rapid and non-destructive identification of the leather artifacts using FTIR-PCA

Due to the variations in deterioration and the diversity of tanning processes, the identification of leather artifacts is a challenge. In the present work, a non-destructive and rapid identification method is provided by combining Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with principal component analysis (PCA). By analyzing a total of 4 types, encompassing with 30 model sets, this method has been proven effective in eliminating interference related to the deterioration and overcoming key obstacles in identifying the leather manufacturing process of the leather artifacts. Two pieces of leather artifacts representing different periods, regions, and animal types were studied using the proposed method. Further high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to verify the identification results and method accuracy. In addition, by evaluating against the models, the alkaline treated sample showed higher reliability compared to the acid treated one. This method effectively addressed the challenges in accurately identifying the leather tanning processes and demonstrated the importance of analyzing and conserving a wider range collagen-based artifacts.