• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.590-605
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• 2021

The history of printing technology in Korea is studied by investigating existing ancient documents and records and comparing accumulated data and knowledge. Cultural property research requires non-destructive testing and observation with the naked eye or aided by a microscope. Researchers' experience and knowledge are required even though they cannot guarantee the outcome. For ancient documents and records that are presumed to consist of woodblock printing, wood type printing, metal type printing, or their combinations, each researcher draws various opinions and conclusions. This often causes confusion and divides the opinions of ordinary citizens and field specialists. Among them, the criteria for judging ancient documents or books printed using woodblock and metal movable material are ambiguous. Academic research on the development history of printing technology in ancient Korea has been stagnant, and conflicts among researchers have also erupted. Involvement of national investigative agencies not specialized in cultural properties has exacerbated the situation. In this study, we investigated printing characteristics that are likely to serve as more objective judgment criteria by quantitatively analyzing the experiments of retrieving several sheets of Korean paper (Hanji) using a replicated Hunminjeongeum (訓民正音) woodblock and quantitatively analyzing the images of the printed papers. In addition, the validity and questions for the typical phenomena presented as a method for distinguishing between woodblock and metal print are reviewed. We investigated the possibility of developing new objective judgement criteria through quantitative analysis using image analysis and investigating the printing characteristics of Korean paper through a reproduction experiment of woodblock printing.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.136-141
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• 2012

'Jikjisimcheyocheal (Jikji afterwards)' is known as a first book printed by the metal type in the world. The metal type used for printing this book has not been found yet. To help for replicating the original metal type, it is required to investigate the composition analysis of the copied metal type. In this study, the composition analysis and thermodynamic care for replicating of ancient metal type was performed on the basis of an analytical reports concerned with the ancient metal type which made after Jikji printing. Metal types were made by remelting and casting of the mother alloy which came from a cast of a mixed metals in accordance with the composition revealed in the literatures. Change of composition during remelting of mother alloy and casting of metal was detected by the EDS analysis. The reasons for variation in composition were discussed by metallurgical and thermodynamic point of view, and a mixing ratio of metals to get the original composition of ancient metal type is suggested. Some attention should be paid on mixing, melting and casting of metals to get an objected composition for copy of ancient metal type.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.224-243
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• 2014

This study examined the materials and casting technology(cast, alloy, etc.) used in the manufacturing of bronze artifacts based on old literature such as Yongjae Chonghwa, Cheongong Geamul, and The Korea Review. In the casting experiment for restoration of Sangpyong Tongbo, a bronze and brass mother coin mold was made using the sand mold casting method described in The Korea Review. The cast was comprised of the original mold plate frame, wooden frame, and molding sand. Depending on the material of the outer frame, which contains the molding sand, the original mold plate frame can be either a wooden frame or steel frame. For the molding sand, light yellow-colored sand of the Jeonbuk Iri region was used. Next, the composition of the mother alloy used in the restoration of Sangpyong Tongbo was studied. In consideration of the evaporation of tin and lead during actual restoration, the composition of Cu 60%, Zn 30%, and Pb 10% for brass as stated in The Korea Review was modified to Cu 60%, Zn 35%, and Pb 15%. For bronze, based on the composition of Cu 80%, Sn 6%, and Pb 14% used for Haedong Tongbo, the composition was set as Cu 80%, Sn 11%, and Pb 19%. The mother coin mold was restored by first creating a wooden father coin, making a cast from the wooden frame and basic steel frame, alloying, casting, and making a mother coin. Component analysis was conducted on the mother alloy of the restored Sangpyong Tongbo, and its primary and secondary casts. The bronze mother alloy saw a 5% increase in copper and 4% reduction in lead. The brass parent alloy had a 5% increase in copper, but a 4% and 12% decrease in lead and tin respectively. Analysis of the primary and secondary mother coin molds using an energy dispersive spectrometer showed that the bronze mother coin mold had a reduced amount of lead, while the brass mother coin mold had less tin. This can be explained by the evaporation of lead and tin in the melting of the primary mother coin mold. In addition, the ${\alpha}$-phase and lead particles were found in the mother alloy of bronze and brass, as well as the microstructure of the primary and secondary coin molds. Impurities such as Al and Si were observed only in the brass mother coin mold.