Elemental Compositions and Chemical States of Corrosion Products of Brome Ware Cultural Relics Studied by X- Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

The elemental compositions and chemical states of the corrosion products of two kinds of bronze wares, the bronze strip and square - hole bronze ware, excavated from Jinsha site near Chengdu City of China, were analyzed by means of X - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( XPS), aiming at revealing the corrosion mechanisms of the bronze ware cultural relics and the correlation among the corrosion behavior of the bronze wares and the underground environmental conditions. The results showed that the corrosion products on the surfaces of the two kinds of bronze wares were mainly composed of metallic Cu grains and lead carbonates/oxides. However, chlorine, which may lead to the formation of corrosion - induced patinas on bronze surface under air atmosphere, had not been detected on the surfacesof the two kinds of bronze wares, and S in the form of S2-/SO42-was detected on the surface of the square-hole bronze ware. At the same time, all the tin element in the bronze strip and at the interface of the outer layer and base of the square-hole bronze ware was present as a SnO2 - like phase, which could help to further prevent the bronze ware cultural relics from corrosion.