Large scale investigation of chemical composition, structure and corrosion mechanism of bronze archeological artefacts from Mediterranean basin

Ingo, GM; De Caro, T; Riccucci, C; Angelini, E; Grassini, S; Balbi, S; Bernardini, P; Salvi, D; Bousselmi, L; Cilingiroglu, A; Gener, M; Gouda, VK; Jarrah, OAL; Khosroff, S; Mahdjoub, Z; Saad, ZAL; El-Saddik, W; Vassiliou, P

dc.contributor.author	Ingo, GM	en
dc.contributor.author	De Caro, T	en
dc.contributor.author	Riccucci, C	en
dc.contributor.author	Angelini, E	en
dc.contributor.author	Grassini, S	en
dc.contributor.author	Balbi, S	en
dc.contributor.author	Bernardini, P	en
dc.contributor.author	Salvi, D	en
dc.contributor.author	Bousselmi, L	en
dc.contributor.author	Cilingiroglu, A	en
dc.contributor.author	Gener, M	en
dc.contributor.author	Gouda, VK	en
dc.contributor.author	Jarrah, OAL	en
dc.contributor.author	Khosroff, S	en
dc.contributor.author	Mahdjoub, Z	en
dc.contributor.author	Saad, ZAL	en
dc.contributor.author	El-Saddik, W	en
dc.contributor.author	Vassiliou, P	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T01:24:33Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T01:24:33Z
dc.date.issued	2006	en
dc.identifier.issn	0947-8396	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/17328
dc.subject	Chemical Composition	en
dc.subject	Copper	en
dc.subject	Grain Boundary	en
dc.subject	Iron	en
dc.subject	Large Scale	en
dc.subject	Mediterranean Basin	en
dc.subject	Thermal Treatment	en
dc.subject.classification	Materials Science, Multidisciplinary	en
dc.subject.classification	Physics, Applied	en
dc.subject.other	Catchments	en
dc.subject.other	Composition	en
dc.subject.other	Corrosion	en
dc.subject.other	Grain boundaries	en
dc.subject.other	Heat treatment	en
dc.subject.other	Microstructure	en
dc.subject.other	Archeological artefacts	en
dc.subject.other	Corrosion mechanism	en
dc.subject.other	Mediterranean basins	en
dc.subject.other	Bronze	en
dc.title	Large scale investigation of chemical composition, structure and corrosion mechanism of bronze archeological artefacts from Mediterranean basin	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.identifier.primary	10.1007/s00339-006-3550-z	en
heal.identifier.secondary	http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00339-006-3550-z	en
heal.language	English	en
heal.publicationDate	2006	en
heal.abstract	A large number of Cu-based archaeological artefacts from the Mediterranean basin have been selected for investigation of their chemical composition, metallurgical features and corrosion products (i.e. the patina). The guidelines for the selection of the Cu-based artefacts have taken into account the representativeness of the Mediterranean archaeological context, the manufacturing technique, the degradation state and the expected chemical composition and structure of the objects. The results show wide variation of the chemical composition of the alloys that include all kinds of ancient Cu-based alloys such as low and high tin, and also leaded bronzes, copper and copper-iron alloys. The examination of the alloy matrix shows largely different metallurgical features thus indicating the use of different manufacturing techniques for producing the artefacts. The results of the micro-chemical investigation of the patina show the structures and the chemical composition of the stratified corrosion layers where copper or tin depletion phenomenon are commonly observed with a remarkably surface enrichment of some soil elements such as P, S, Ca, Si, Fe, Al and Cl. This information indicates the strict interaction between soil components and corrosion reactions and products. In particular, the ubiquitous and near constant presence of chlorine in the corrosion layers is observed in the patina of the archaeological Cu-based artefacts found in different contexts in Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Spain and Tunisia. This latter occurrence is considered dangerous because it could induce a cyclic corrosion reaction of copper that could disfigure the artefact. The micro-chemical and micro-structural results also show that another source of degradation of the bronze archaeological artefacts, are their intrinsic metallurgical features whose formation is induced during the manufacturing of the objects, carried out in ancient times by repeated cycles of cold or hot mechanical work and thermal treatments. These combined treatments induce crystallisation and segregation phenomena of the impurities along the grain boundaries and could cause mechanical weakness and increase the extent of the inter-granular corrosion phenomena.	en
heal.publisher	SPRINGER	en
heal.journalName	Applied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1007/s00339-006-3550-z	en
dc.identifier.isi	ISI:000237570700007	en
dc.identifier.volume	83	en
dc.identifier.issue	4	en
dc.identifier.spage	513	en
dc.identifier.epage	520	en