Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-45l2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T21:51:33.636Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Some Applications of Ion Chromatography to the Study of the Deterioration of Museum Artifacts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2011

Norman H Tennent ,
Brian G Cooksey ,
David Littlejohn  and
Barbara J Ottaway
Norman H Tennent
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Brian G Cooksey
Affiliation:
Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 IXL, Scotland, United Kingdom.
David Littlejohn
Affiliation:
Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 IXL, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Barbara J Ottaway
Affiliation:
Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 IXL, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Get access

Abstract

Ion chromatography has been applied to the investigation of corrosion and efflorescence products on a range of museum artifacts whose deterioration is due to reaction with organic carbonyl pollutants in the storage environment. The potential of the technique and its optimisation for the determination of chloride, acetate, formate, nitrate and sulphate anions and associated cations are reported. Compounds containing acetates and/or formates from ceramic, geological, mollusca and metal collections have been investigated. The utility of ion chromatography for the examination of specimens which show no visible efflorescence, but from which significant acetate and formate levels can be quantified, is also demonstrated. The complementarity of ion chromatography and other techniques, in particular X-ray diffraction and infra red spectroscopy, for the investigation of efflorescence products is emphasised.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 267: Symposium J – Materials Issues in Art and Archaeology III , 1992 , 869
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Byne, L. St G., ‘The corrosion of shells incabinets’, J.Conchology j (1899) 172-178 & 253-254.Google Scholar
2. Taboury, M.F., ‘Des modifications chimiques decertaines substances calcaire converv~es dans desmeubles en bois’, Bulletin de la SocietA Chimique de France 4A (1931) 1289-91.Google Scholar
3. Nicholls, J.R., ‘Determination of shells when storedin oak cabinets’, J. Soc Chem, Ind. 3 (1934) 1077-1078.Google Scholar
4. FitzHugh, E.W., and Gettens, R.J., ‘Calclacite and other efflorescent salts on objects stored in woodenmuseum cases’ in Science and Archaeologv (ed. R.Brill), MIT Press, Cambridge MA (1971) 91-102.Google Scholar
5. Tennent, N.H., and Baird, T., ‘The deterioration ofmollusca collections: identification of shellefflorescence’, Studies in Conservation 30 (1985) 73-85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. Hatchfield, P., and Carpenter, J., ‘Formaldehyde: Howgreat is the danger to museum collections?’, Centerfor Conservation and Technical Studies, Harvard University Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, USA, (1987).Google Scholar
7. Tennent, N.H. and Baird, T., ‘Identification of acetateefflorescence on bronze antiquities stored in woodencabinets’, The Conservator 16 (1992) 39-47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Preusser, F. and Druzik, J.R., ‘Environmental Researchat the Getty Conservation Institute’, Restaurator i0 (1989) 160-196.Google Scholar
9. Blackshaw, S.M., and Daniels, V.D., ‘Selecting safematerials for use in the display and storage ofantiquities’ in Prevrints of ICOM Committee forConservation. 5th Triennial Meeting, Zagreb (1978)paper 78/23/2.Google Scholar
10. Miles, C., *Wood coatings for display and storagecases’, Studies in Conservation 31 (1986) 114-24.Google Scholar
11. Small, H., Stevens, T.S. and Bauman, W.C., ‘Novel ionexchange chromatographic method using conductimetricdetection’, Anal, Chem, &2 (1975) 1801-1809.Google Scholar
12. Tennent, N.H., Cooksey, B., Littlejohn, D., Ottaway, B. and Nicolson, A., ‘The deterioration of molluscacollections: the role of salt residues in theformation of shell efflorescence’, Studies inConservation, manuscript in preparation.Google Scholar
13. Padfield, T. and Erhart, D., ‘The spontaneous transferto glass of an image of Joan of Arc’, in Pre.rint.sof ICOM Committee for Conservation 8th. Triennial1Meeting, Sydney (1987) pp.909–913.Google Scholar
14. Gettens, R.J., ‘Mineral alteration products onancient metal objects’ in Recent Advances inConservation, IIC, Butterworths, London (1963)pp 89-92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Fabrizi, M., Ganiaris, H., Tarling, S. and Scott, D.A., "The occurrence of sampleite, a complex copperphosphate, as a corrosion product on copper alloy objects from Memphis, Egypt’, Studies in Conservation 4a (1989) 45-51.Google Scholar
16. Wheeler, G.S. and Wypysky, M.T., ‘An unusualefflorescence on Greek ceramics’, Studiielps inConservation, in the press.Google Scholar
17. Tassel, R. Van, ‘Une efflorescence d'ac~tachlorurecalcium sur les roches calcaires dans descollections’. Bulletin du Musee Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgigue, 21 (1945) llpp.Google Scholar
18. Tassel, R. Van, ‘On the crystallography ofcalclacite, Ca(CH3 COO)Cl.5H2 0’, &Ac ACryst allogranhica, II (1958) 745-746Google Scholar
19. Tennent, N.H. and Littlejohn, D., unpublishedobservations.Google Scholar
20. Tennent, N.H., Porter, J. and Ramsay, P., unpublishedobservations.Google Scholar
21. Tennent, N.H., Baird, T., Cooksey, B., Littlejohn, D. and Gibson, L., ‘Thecotrichite: a widespread acetateefflorescence on calcareous specimens stored inwooden cabinets’, Studies in Conservation,manuscript in preparation.Google Scholar
22. Oddy, W.A. and Hughes, M.J., ‘The stabilisation of “active” bronze and iron antiquities by the use ofsodium sesquicarbonate’, Studies in Conservation 15 (1970) 183-9.Google Scholar
23. Enderly, C., personal communication.Google Scholar
24. Tennent, N.H. and Baird, T., unpublished observations.Google Scholar
25. Brown, J.P., Survey of current conservation research.University of Wales College, Cardiff, (1992) lOpp.Google Scholar