PIXE study on Thai amulet. Phra Somdej Wat Rakhang

Phra Somdej Wat Rakhang amulets which were one of the most famous Thai amulets created in an image of Lord Buddha meditation. They were made to explain the Dharma of Buddha and to bless every life in this world for good karma. Their compositions contained with both inorganic and organic materials such as shell lime, assorted flowers, ashes from incense urns, etc. Various molds were differed both types and compositions. In this work, it was the first time on advanced structural analysis using non-destructive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry methods; particle induced x-ray emission. Samples were selected by various molds to analyze theirs composition. Results revealed the presence of Ca, Al, K, Si and others such as Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn. It was also found that there were differences in concentration of composition. It can be concluded that their matrices were heterogeneous. Each mold may be characterized using the differences in its composition. (author)