Characterization of historical writing inks by different analytical techniques

34 Characterization of eight historical writing ink samples was performed using different analytical techniques. UV, visible spectroscopy, thin layer chromatography and capillary electrophoresis were used for the analysis of ink aqueous solutions. Characterization by UV and visible spectroscopies and capillary electrophoresis revealed specific features in historical inks fabricated under different recipes, providing a possibility to determine the identity of historical inks regarding their chemical composition. However, there is a clear indication that the chromatographic technique used for the characterization of historical writing ink samples was unsuccessful. The evaluation of the results obtained from thin layer chromatography does not offer the possibility to identify effectively the nature of various ingredients in different ink samples.