Integrated adiabatic scanning calorimetry, light transmission and imaging analysis of collagen deterioration in parchment

The collagen denaturation process in several artificially aged modern parchment samples were studied by combining Adiabatic Scanning Calorimetry and Light Transmission Analysis investigations. It was found that the calorimetric evaluations enabled not only to confirm the previously reported specific heat results concerning the collagen denaturation peaks, but also to identify a novel broad feature most likely associated with additional transformations occurring once denaturation takes place. Moreover, the combination of the investigations by the two adopted techniques allowed to validate the Light Transmission Analysis as a novel simple method capable of recording the entire collagen denaturation temperature path of the analyzed samples. Finally, the polarization microscopy imaging, performed simultaneously with the optical transmission characterization, enabled to perform a direct correlation of the morphology changes of the parchment with the different stages of the collagen denaturation.