Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T20:28:26.551Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Corrosion of Archaeological Artefacts from the Olviya Site in Ukraine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Larisa V. Demchenko
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
Borys P. Zlobenko
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
Vyacheslav I. Manichev
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
Vadim V. Kadoshnikov
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
Ludmila V. Spasova
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
Get access

Abstract

Copper and bronze artefacts of Olviya archaeological collection dated the first century B.C. were the objects of this study. Susceptibility to soil corrosion of archaeological artefacts from pure copper and bronze was investigated. Detailed mineralogical and metallographic investigations were performed on specially prepared samples of metallic copper, such as cut and polished sections of a cylindrical body, etc. They reveal a complex picture of metal structure and mineralogical features that can be attributed to both original technological process of manufacturing and to alteration during the burial and weathering history. Corrosion products were researched and the thickness of the corrosion layer formed for the long period of time was determined. It is shown, that the corrosion rate of artefacts produced by casting depends on composition alloys and change of metal structure after the next mechanical-thermal processing. The soil corrosion rate of copper alloys also depends on the redox conditions in the soil of Olviya site.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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

REFERENCES

1. Werme, L., “Design premises for canister for spent nuclear fuel”, SKB, TR-98–08, (1998).Google Scholar
2. Johnson, L H, Tait, J C, Shoesmith, D W, Crosthwaite, J, Gray, M N, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Report, AECL-10718, (1994).Google Scholar
3. King, F., Applied Geochemistry, 10, 477487, (1995).Google Scholar
4. King, F., Ahonen, L., Taxén, C., Vuorinen, U., Werme, L., “Copper corrosion under expected conditions in a deep geologic repository”, Report POSIVA 2002–01(2002)Google Scholar
5. Geographical encyclopedia of Ukraine, Kyiv, p. 215, (1989), (in Ukrainian).Google Scholar
6. Skripkin, V.V., Recent, Kovalyuch N.N. Developments in the Procedures Used at the SSCER Laboratory for the Routine Preparation of Lithium Carbide // Radiocarbon, 40, pp. 211214, (1998).Google Scholar
7. Gaigalas, A., Arslanov, Kh., Kovalyuch, N. at all., “Radiocarbon and dendrochronology for medieval wood samples from Lithuanian old castles”, Int. Workshop on Isotope-geochemical Research in the Baltic Region, Lohusalu, Estonia, pp. 115122, (1996).Google Scholar
8. Andersson, C-G., “Test manufacturing of copper canisters with cast inserts”, SKB Technical Report, TR-98–09, (1998).Google Scholar
9. Rozenfeld, I.L. Corrosion and protection of metals. // Moscow, Mir, 1970, p. 159 (in Russian).Google Scholar
10. Lee, H.P., Nobe, K. 1986, “Kinetics and mechanisms of Cu electrodissolution in chloride media”. J. Electrochem. Soc. 133, 20352043.Google Scholar
11. Taxen, C., “Pitting corrosion of copper”, Technical Report, TR-02–22, (2002).Google Scholar