FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF NATURAL RESINS USED IN FURNITURE FINISHES

Infrared spectroscopy is a valuable method for the detection and identification of organic coating materials. The vibrational bands that appear in the infrared spectra provide information on chemical functional groups of a sample which may allow for general characterization of the material or even the identification of specific compounds. Mixtures of natural materials, as are often found in furniture finishes, can stretch conventional infrared spectroscopy to its limits as an analytical method. This paper outlines the capabilities and limitations of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for the identification of natural resins used in historic furniture finishes.