Tannin characterization and sourcing in historical leathers through FTIR spectroscopy and PCA analysis

This study aimed to identify and classify the type of plants used for tanning historical leathers using cost-effective Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The investigation was carried out on five plants (oak bark, sumac, valonia, tara, and gallnut) and four historical leather samples from book bindings dating back to the Qajar period. Tannin extraction from both plants and leathers was performed using acetone–water solvent, and the samples were then subjected to FTIR spectroscopy. Pre-processing of the spectra included baseline correction, smoothing, and normalization. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the source of tannins based on FTIR results. FTIR was found to provide a good separation of condensed tannins from hydrolysable ones. However, PCA analysis allowed for the separation and identification of the type of plant used for tannin extraction. The examination of historical leather samples revealed that the primary classification based on the type of tannin is possible, but accurate identification faces challenges due to structural changes and degradation over time.

Graphical abstract