silver inks

Ingredients

silver, copper, sodium chloride

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The ink was primarily composed of silver (Ag) with small amounts of copper (Cu) potentially present as an original alloy component or intentional additive (p. 151). The scribes may have used sodium chloride (NaCl) as a grinding aid for the silver during the ink production process (p. 151). The presence of chlorine in the ink, confirmed by XRF and SEM/EDX, points to either this production aid or environmental contact (p. 151). Reference inks (ST1) suggest mixtures including sodium chloride and copper(I)oxide (p. 143).

Evidence

"The results of XRF, XRD and SEM/EDX confirm the presence of silver chloride as main corrosion product. XRF detected chlorine in the parchment and in the ink with higher intensities in inked areas."

Remarks

Samples analyzed include T1, T7, T8, T9, T10, T11, and T17 from the Vienna Genesis and Codex Purpureus Petropolitanus (p. 140, Table 1; p. 144, Table 2). XRD results show varying amounts of corrosion products: silver chloride (chlorargyrite) up to 76 wt.% in sample T9, silver oxide (Ag2O) in trace amounts (1 wt.%), and silver nitrate (AgNO3) in sample T1 (p. 140). Elemental analysis confirms that chlorine is present at each sample position, ranging from 1% to 20% (p. 144). Sulfur is only minimally present (p. 144).