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Conservation of ancient iron bed

2004

I'm Andreia Ribeiro, and I'm a student in conservation and restoration of furniture and metals. Now I'm finishing my course of five years at university (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), but the study I'm developing is at a Portuguese institute for conservation (www.ipcr.pt). I'm studying an ancient iron bed from the XVII century, which is polychromed (paint is composed by pigments and oils/egg (maybe)). The main problem is the iron support is contaminated with chlorides, and the polychromy is cracking and splitting.

I would like to know if you have any idea of a solution to remove the chlorides and stop the iron corrosion without touching in the paint. Because the paint is part of the history of the bed, so it can't be removed. I have been reading some things about corrosion inhibitors but most of the objects are immersed in a solution of that. I can't do this to the bed, because the problem with the paint. Do you know any other processes I could use?

Another problem is that I need to fix the paint to the iron support. I don't know what would be the best choice, I thought about a Paraloid, silanes or another polymer like that. What do you suggest? I would be very thankful if you could give some help.

Andreia Ribeiro
student/conservator and restorator of art - Lisbon, Portugal

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Try Conservation OnLine website (http://palimpsest.stanford.edu)! They have very good forum on conservation! I think you can use 20 gm tannic acid [on eBay or Amazon]/15 gm phoshoric acid/ 1 lit water treatment(standard practice in iron conservation). Paraloid B72(or B67) solution can be used to fix flaked paint.

Good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
2004

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2005

Thanks Goran, I've already post this question to http://palimpsest.stanford.edu, but I've got no anwers.

The solution you gave me doesn't remove the chlorides right?

tannic acid [on eBay or Amazon] I already knew, but I don't know what is the main function of phoshoric acid. Could you explain a little better what's his function in the conservation of iron?

I've a list of possible treatments:
1-chlorides removal: NaOH, LiOH,ethylene diamine, triethanolamine, alkaline sulfite,
2-Corrosion inhibitors: dicyclohexylammonium nitrite, tannic acid [on eBay or Amazon],disodium salt of secaic acid (1,8-octanedicarboxylic acid)
3-Consolidation:PB-72 in ethanol,organosilanes and organotitanes

In this list is there anything you would consider as a solution to my problem in the removal of chlorides and inhibition?

Tanks for your time,

Andreia Ribeiro
- Lisbon, Portugal

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2005

Dear Andreia!

I am metalwork conservator in Arts and crafts museum in Zagreb,Croatia. If your bed is not archeological find You can use tannic acid [on eBay or Amazon]/phosphoric acid treatment for stabilization of corroded surface(according to Stambolov,Bleck,Eichelmann:Korrosion und Konservierung von Kunst und Kulturgut aus Metall/I,Weimar 1988.).Stabilization and chloride removal process for your object is problem- I think that you can use corrosion inhibitor,but real problem is in remains of colour. Only one usable chloride removal process for your object is electrolytic. For Consolidation You can use B 72 or 67(soluble in less polar solvent/White spirit).

Good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia

That explains why you know so much!

Marc Banks
- Elizabeth City, North Carolina
2005

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2005

DEAR professor
Best greetings for you from Cairo.I have the honour to send you this email. I want you to help me in my Ph.D thesis to find a supervisor in your country or to work with in any conservation project or send to me any papers in conservation of underwater iron objects .I knew your site from my university.I would forward to register my Oh.D in your country. I want to help me to do this.

My C.V. in details :-



-I obtained B.A. in Archaeology from conservation and restoration, Faculty of Archaeology , El-Fayoum branch, Cairo university in 1999 with mention Very Good with honour degree

-I enrolled as a postgraduate student at the Cairo university and passed the preliminary examination in 2000

-In 4/1/2004 I obtained M.A. degree from the department of restoration and conservation with "EXCELLENT" degree under the title "Study of technology, treatment and conservation of Coptic bronze artifacts in EGYPT applied on some selected objects"

-6/204 I registered Ph.D. in the same dep. under the title " Study of scientific methods for conservation and restoration of iron artifacts immersed in water , applied on some selected objects"

-After obtaining my B.A. in 1999, I worked a restorer in Egyptian museum , shared in the conservation and restoration of metallic units in historic buildings.

-In 7/2001 I worked as demonstrator in conservation dep; Faculty of archaeology, El-Fayoum branch, Cairo university .

-After obtaining M.A. degree , I am working as assistant lecturer

My study deals with :-

-Studying the general properties of metal and alloys as physical, chemical, electrical, electrochemical, and magnetic ones

-Studying mining and the extraction of metals, and methods of working metals. .

-Studying of corrosion process, its forms, and the different corrosion reactions.

-Studying the methods of treating by mechanical and chemical cleaning, reduction methods and reshaping, completing and consolidation which include the different methods of protection by using protective coating.

-Studying several corrosion compounds by examination and analyses process as X-Ray radiography, Metallurgy microscope, SEM,XRF,XRD,and atomic absorption.

YOURS SINCERELY,

Saleh
EL-Fayoum university - Giza