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Long-Term Corrosion of 2,000-Year-Old Ancient Iron Sword

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2012

Seiichiro Mitsui
Affiliation:
Geological Isolation Research and Development Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 4-33 Muramatsu, Tokai, Ibaraki, 319-1194, Japan
Atsuhiro Fujii
Affiliation:
Yao Board of Education, 1-1-1 Hon-machi, Yao-city, Osaka 581-0003, Japan
Megumi Higuchi
Affiliation:
Yao City Museum, 3-180-1 Chizuka, Yao-city, Osaka 581-0862, Japan
Kohsuke Nishimura
Affiliation:
Cultural Property Research Association of Yao City, 4-58-2 Saiwai-cho, Yao-city, Osaka 581-0821, Japan
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Abstract

An ancient iron sword (ca 2,000 year old) excavated from Ohtake-nishi archaeological site in Osaka Prefecture, is one of the oldest cast iron swords in Japan. Because of a good state of preservation, such as the sharply-defined “Shinogi” (the longitudinal ridge) on the surface, we studied relationship between the burial environment and corrosion behavior. As environmental conditions, we investigated groundwater chemistry and corrosion rate with iron probe monitor, etc. Regarding corrosion state, we analyzed corrosion depths with an X-ray computed tomography and corrosion products with a portable X-ray diffractometer equipped with X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. As results, we found that the redox potential and dissolved oxygen level as environmental conditions were very low, and that the corrosion rate (7.5×10-4 mm/y) evaluated from measured corrosion depths was smaller than the probe corrosion rate (3.2–5.2×10-2 mm/y) by two orders of magnitude. The results suggested that the corrosion layer of siderite formed on the iron sword surface inhibited corrosion reaction.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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References

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