A synthetic study of archaeological (Cu-Sn-P) bronze alloy maintenance by simulation method

What is it about?

The present research had dealt with study the composition of an alloy (86% Cu, 10% Sn, 4% P) prepared by the casting method and chemically damaging it according to the methods used in simulating damaged archaeological samples by placing the alloy in a dilute solution of (8%) molar sulfuric acid (H2 SO4) for (24) hours. Then, it was softened for mechanical treatments. After it was treated by laser using a Nd. Y pulsed laser and energy (300 mJ) for (10 sec) and at a distance of (100 cm). Therefore, it had four stages of the alloy (Base, damaged, mechanically treated, and mechanically with laser-treated). The x-ray diffraction test was performed for each stage with a hardness test performed by Vickers method. It was noticed that the damaged alloy has the lowest structural properties with a low hardness value, unlike the mechanically and laser-treated alloy, which possesses the best structural properties and hardness values, which makes this method an appropriate way to deal with the maintenance of archeological bronze pieces.

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Why is it important?

The interrelationship between materials science and archaeology.

Perspectives