Abstract
Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) is an interface used to couple liquid chromatography (LC) to mass spectrometry (MS). It is suitable for a variety of materials, and allows for LC flow rates of up to 2mL.min−1. Although an established technique, APCI LC/MS has received little attention in the analysis of artists' materials. This paper describes the application of the technique to two conservation related problems: analysis of a white exudate on a painting by Mark Rothko (‘Number 7’, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC) and the analysis of components present in acetone (propanone) extracts of oil paint films.