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Bridging the Gap

Corrosion Science For Heritage Contexts

  • 1st Edition, Volume 73 - July 25, 2025
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Delphine Neff, Sabrina Grassini, David Watkinson, Nicola Emmerson
  • Language: English

Bridging the Gap: Corrosion Science For Heritage Contexts explores the decision-making processes for preserving heritage metals while also examining the collaborative, interd… Read more

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Description

Bridging the Gap: Corrosion Science For Heritage Contexts explores the decision-making processes for preserving heritage metals while also examining the collaborative, interdisciplinary relationships that underpin them. Through themed chapters, the book is designed to develop and strengthen collaboration between these three groups of professionals, creating a synergy that benefits research and practice for the preservation of heritage metals. It builds an overview of metals conservation across a broad range of heritage contexts, from indoor museum displays to fixed outdoor structures and moving objects.

Researchers and practitioners provide critical insights into corrosion problems within heritage, current corrosion mitigation procedures, and the evidence supporting best practice guidance. The book will be a valuable reference resource for corrosion and corrosion protection scientists, heritage preservation scientists, conservation practitioners, and students studying preservation of cultural objects.

Key features

  • Provides a detailed understanding of recent advancements and the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to addressing future challenges
  • Presents a contextual understanding of the corrosion of a range of heritage metals in different environments
  • Discusses novel characterization techniques as applied to heritage science
  • Overviews innovative protection treatments in use and under development
  • Includes extensive case studies from highly qualified experts who deal with numerous issues on the conservation of metal artifacts

Readership

All individuals and groups linked or potentially linked to understanding, developing, planning, and practicing ethically, aesthetically, and cost-conscious corrosion control of fixed or movable heritage objects, structures, and monuments, located indoor or outdoor and in various climatic contexts, Specific groups: corrosion and corrosion protection scientists (academic and industrial), heritage preservation scientists, conservation practitioners (public and private sector), and students studying preservation of cultural objects (conservator and restorer)

Table of contents

1. Introduction

PART ONE: Preserving Heritage Materials in Perpetuity: Ethics and Constraints

1.1. Reflections on Patina and Surface Layers on Metals

1.2. Love: The main ingredient in successful coatings

1.3. Managing the Preservation of a Large Military Service Collection at the Tank Museum, Bovington UK: Challenges and collaborative research

1.4. Hydrogen Reduction of Archaeological Iron: A reappraisal

1.5. A Monumental Mission: Managing Treatment Lifetimes for Industrial-Scale Marine Iron Alloy Artifacts

1.6. SS Great Britain

1.7. Large Collections of Small Metal Objects: Managing their preservation via desiccated microclimates

1.8. Experiencing Heritage Objects: Balancing material and functional originality

PART TWO: The Value of Interdisciplinarity

2.1. Interdisciplinarity in Conservation Education

2.2. Reconciling Industrial Methods with Private Conservation Practice

2.3. Transdisciplinary Collaboration for the Multi-Scale Description of Corrosion Structures in Metallic Heritage

2.4. Understanding and Manging the Corrosion of Chloride Infested Archaeological Iron: A conservation and corrosion science synergy

PART THREE: Methodologies for Corrosion Assessment

3.1. Cathodic Protection of Historical Metal-Hulled Shipwrecks: Complementary approach from on-site global measurements to multiscale characterization

3.2. Long-Term Marine Corrosion of Ferrous Objects and Shipwrecks and the Effects of Calcareous Deposition

3.3. Isotopic Labelling to Understand the Long-Term Corrosion of Iron in Atmospheric Conditions: The case of the staples of the Mutte tower of the Metz cathedral

PART FOUR: Novel Challenges and Treatments

4.1. The Development of Tailored Coatings to Protect Patinated Bronze in Outdoor Applications

4.2. Aluminium and its Alloys in Cultural Heritage: New challenges for conservation

4.3. Brass as a Gold Imitation Used in Book Painting: Influence of a binder on brass corrosion and possible fixatives for gold imitation

4.4. Metals in Association with Organic and Inorganic Materials: Marine composite artefacts

4.5. Dechlorination of Iron III Phases in Corrosion Layers for the Preservation of Archaeological Artefacts

4.6. Green Corrosion Mitigation and Conservation Strategies for Metal Heritage

4.7. Recent Research on the Use of Scanning Laser Systems for Cleaning Cultural Heritage Cu-Based Artifacts

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Volume: 73
  • Published: July 25, 2025
  • Language: English

About the editors

DN

Delphine Neff

Delphine Neff is a research director at the NIMBE/LAPA. She develops research projects on understanding the transformation of ancient corrosion layers during desalination treatments as well as their interaction with organic compounds applied as protective coatings. She’s a member of the French society CEFRACOR and a member of the EFC STAC and chairwoman of the WP21 on ‘historical and archaeological artefacts”.
Affiliations and expertise
Research Director, CEA, France; NIMBE/LAPA, CEA/CNRS/ Paris Saclay University, France

SG

Sabrina Grassini

Sabrina Grassini is Associate Professor of Applied Physical Chemistry at the Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Italy. Her main research works are devoted to Conservation of Cultural Heritage: studies of degradation processes on metallic artifacts and development of tailored strategies for restoration and conservation; she also develops studies on innovative plasma technologies for protection of metallic artifacts. She is member of the Italian Association of Metallurgy and Secretary of the EFC Working Party 21-Corrosion of Archaeological and Historical Artifacts.
Affiliations and expertise
Associate Professor, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

DW

David Watkinson

David Watkinson began his career as an object conservator working in museums and then specialising in archaeological material as a practical conservator at Cardiff University. He later moved into teaching and research where he developed as a heritage metals corrosion scientist with a particular interest in designing research that informs and evidences conservation practice and management strategies. He works with museums and heritage bodies to answer specific problems related to treatment, storage and display of heritage metal objects and supervises a PhD cohort engaged in researching these topics. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, Vice-President of EFC Working Party 21 'Corrosion of Archaeological and Historical Artefacts', a former Council member of the International Institute for Conservation and a past Chair of the Institute of Conservation Archaeology Section. He was awarded the Plowden Medal for his services to conservation research in 2010 in recognition of his work on preservation strategies for the SS Great Britain.

Affiliations and expertise
Professor of Conservation, Department of Archaeology and Conservation, School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University, UK

NE

Nicola Emmerson

Nicola Emmerson is a conservation scientist who researches and teaches conservation at Cardiff University. Trained as an object conservator, her focus is on investigating corrosion prevention methods for heritage iron and copper alloys, from protective coatings to desalination and desiccated storage and display. She is the Director of a UKRI-funded conservation and heritage science research facility established to examine the impact of environments on the decay of heritage materials. Within the wider heritage sector, she is the Coordinator of the International Council of Museums – Committee for Conservation Metals Working Group (2023-26) and Chair of the Institute of Conservation Metals Group Committee. Nicola has been involved in the activities of EFC Working Party 21 since 2012 and is a regular contributor to their sessions at the annual European Corrosion Congress.

Affiliations and expertise
Reader in Conservation, Cardiff University, UK

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