MUSECORR · Protection of cultural heritage by real-time corrosion monitoring

There are many factors affecting air corrosivity, but it is only the temperature and sometimes the relative humidity that are controlled and monitored in indoor premises where valuable and culturally significant objects are stored or displayed. Additional anti-corrosion measures are usually applied only when often-irreplaceable historical objects have already been affected. Information on the actual corrosivity of the atmosphere is crucial to effective corrosion protection and there is a strong need for professionals active in the protection of cultural heritage to have a tool enabling real-time assessment of the air corrosivity. In a project financed within FP6, prototypes of loggers for continuous measurement of the corrosion rate of selected technical metals in atmospheric conditions were developed. The electronic unit measures and records changes in the electrical resistance of a thin metal track applied on an insulating substrate. The developed concept offers several important advantages, such as on-line and real-time monitoring, small size, easy replaceable metal sensors, remote data access, and automatic data delivery via e-mail. The main objectives of the present project that will allow for the application of the logger in the cultural heritage sphere are: (1) To develop new sensors such as silver, lead, and metal alloys simulating more closely historical materials. (2) To improve currently available sensors by decreasing the metal layer thickness to 50–500 nm to provide higher sensitivity. (3) To improve the electronic part of the logger with new measurement ranges, a universal communication interface, and better water-tightness. (4) To adapt the electronic logger and software for single measurements on sensors exposed separately. (5) To develop software that provides user-friendly data handling and makes data interpretation simple by referring to available standards or recommendations.