The chapter in question taken from an advertisement online.
I can't believe that went in his book as gospel, particularly given the "wobbly" nature of the "science". Another battle is being waged right now over the defense of the deletions and censorship of the Hicks' threads and posts at GB.
Tjg, seems like everything sure went quiet re XRF.
I have not been following this debate very closely, but a few years ago I was invited to participate in a workshop on XRF technology at a museum here in the US. We had the opportunity to learn about the equipment from a scientist who holds 4 patents in XRF technology. The machine is capable of detecting the proportions of certain elements, but it is up to the user to properly analyze the information supplied. This requires a good amount of experience in order to fully understand and interpret the results.
Although XRF is useful in many ways, one thing is certain - the machine cannot tell you when the materials were applied. A helmet might have an original SS decal, but when was it added? (I see original unused decals floating around even today). An XRF might show the proper elemental readout for wartime era pigments, but what if someone used period manufactured paint to fake a camouflage design or unit insignia? With questions like this, its use as a means of determining authenticity of helmets is limited.
Interesting book review. Apparently Hicks is plugging XRF in his book. Inquiries about this would be deleted and censored at the Gunboards "German Militaria" forum and one must ask why. If XRFacts is the "savior of the hobby", then where is it now?
http://www.amazon.com/SS-Steel-Parade-Combat-Helmets-Germanys/dp/0912138963
3.0 out of 5 stars SS - Steel, May 22, 2011
By
Dave - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: SS-Steel: (Expanded Edition) Parade & Combat Helmets of Germany's Third Reich Elite (Hardcover)
Interesting book on SS helmets, good photos, easy to read. The only downside is the chapter shamelessly plugging XRF [ X-ray fluorescence spectrometry] , as the "Holy Grail" for determining helmet originality, this pseudo scientific method has, with good reason IMHO, come under fire from many respected helmet collectors as nothing more than "flawed witch doctor science" . Other than that, the book is worth the money.
I may not know the whole story here and all the happenings ,but I am Positive of one thing when ever there is something controversial happening you can bet dollars to Donuts that one name is usually associated with the discontent taking place , Do I really need to say the name , or do others think the same as I and agree also . Best Regards
Paint is a complex mixture consisting of pigments, modifiers, extenders, and binders. The pigments give the paint its color. Blue and green pigments tend to be organic compounds, while reds, yellows, and whites are often inorganic compounds. The modifiers control the properties of the paint such as gloss, flexibility, toughness, and durability. An extender adds bulk and covering capacity and is usually inorganic in nature. Some substances, such as titanium oxide, which is white, may act as both a pigment and an extender. A binder is a natural or synthetic resin that helps stabilize the mixture and form a film when it is spread. Topcoat, primer, and undercoat all have different types of chemical composition. The sample may also have been exposed to dirt, rain, and other contaminants, which can complicate the analysis.
Because paint has both organic and inorganic components, a variety of different chemical analysis techniques may be used to find out its actual composition. Micro-spectrophotometry in its reflectance mode will help determine the nature of the pigments, while infra red spectrometry will determine its organic components. X-ray powder diffraction is useful for determining the identity of any microcrystalline components. Because paint in the form of a chip is solid, a specialized technique called pyrolysis gas chromatography might be used to determine its composition. Pyrolysis involves heating the sample until it turns into a vapor. This is then injected into a gas chromatograph that separates the components. These can be identified by molecular weight using mass spectrometry, which creates a chemical fingerprint that can be compared to reference samples.
If the paint is in the form of a flake, then information on the number of layers can be obtained by various microscopic techniques. The forensic investigator compares the sample to known paints or control samples, by whatever techniques are most appropriate, to see if they came from the same source.