Non-destructive Analysis of Bronze Bell in the Heungguksa Temple

흥국사 동종의 비파괴 조사 분석

This study shows the comparison of chemical compositions of main component with other bronze bells after the research on the component analysis by non-destructive XRF analysis. There are shrinkage cavities caused by the shrinkage defect and pores with pollutants on Bronze Bell of Heungguksa Temple with gamma radiation images and 77.3% of copper, 8.4% of tin and 10.9% of lead were determined as the main components of it with XRF analysis The tin content of Brozen Bell of Heungguksa Temple is less than those (11~18%) of other bronze bells but the lead content of that is higher. The lead content of it shows 10.91% which is quite high while generally the lead contents of other bells were controlled lower than 2.1%. Buddhist bells have the different lead content according to the period. The lead content was low until Silla Dynasty and Unified Silla period but it has been getting higher since some point of Koryo Dynasty. It is assumed that expensive copper and tin were replaced with lead.