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Electrochemical identification of bronze corrosion products in archaeological artefacts. A case study

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Abstract.

The electrochemical response of the products of bronze corrosion is studied upon sample attachment to paraffin-impregnated graphite electrodes immersed into phosphate buffer. Characteristic square wave voltammetic profiles were obtained for CuCO3, CuCl, Cu2O, CuCl2 · 2H2O, azurite, malachite, atacamite and clinoatacamite. Application to real microsamples from a montefortino bronze helmet from Requena (Valencia, Spain) dated back to the Second Iron Age reveals the presence of different corrosion products, namely, cuprite, nantokite, and atacamite-type materials. Data obtained from voltammetric and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis in the samples extracted from different corroded zones of the helmet were in good agreement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Química Analítica, Universitat de València, Burjassot, València, Spain

    Antonio Doménech-Carbó

  2. Institut de Restauració del Patrimoni, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain

    MaríaTeresa Doménech-Carbó & Isabel Martínez-Lázaro

Authors
  1. Antonio Doménech-Carbó
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  2. MaríaTeresa Doménech-Carbó
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  3. Isabel Martínez-Lázaro
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Correspondence to Antonio Doménech-Carbó.

Additional information

Correspondence: Antonio Doménech-Carbó, Departament de Química Analítica, Universitat de València, Calle Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, València, Spain

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Doménech-Carbó, A., Doménech-Carbó, M. & Martínez-Lázaro, I. Electrochemical identification of bronze corrosion products in archaeological artefacts. A case study. Microchim Acta 162, 351–359 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-007-0839-3

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