Developing and testing a new generation of protective coatings for outdoor bronze sculpture

Outdoor bronze sculpture is vulnerable to acid rain-induced corrosion and the present protection schemes utilized by conservators do not provide adequate protection under many circumstances. To replace the current most common clear bronze protection systems, wax or Incralac(R) with a top coat of wax, work is underway to develop different options for conservators that include new longer-lasting, more durable system having improved corrosion protection. The use of improved matrix binders based on fluorocarbon polymers, the use of nano-sized TiO2 for UV absorption, and the extended use of UVAs and HALS are under examination in a search for improved UV resistance and longer lived corrosion protection in clear bronze coatings. Advanced spectroscopic and electrochemical methods are being used to characterize new coatings candidates with respect to UV resistance and corrosion resistance. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.