The sulphur threat to marine archaeological artefacts: acid and iron removal from the Vasa

Magnus Sandström; Farideh Jalilehvand; Ingmar Persson; Yvonne Fors; Emiliana Damian; Ulrik Gelius; Ingrid Hall-Roth; Lovisa Dal; Vicki Richards; Ian Godfrey

The sulphur threat to marine archaeological artefacts: acid and iron removal from the Vasa

Magnus Sandström, Farideh Jalilehvand, Ingmar Persson, Yvonne Fors, Emiliana Damian, Ulrik Gelius, Ingrid Hall-Roth, Lovisa Dal, Vicki Richards , Ian Godfrey

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Paper in conference proceeding

Abstract

An outbreak of acidity and sulphate salts was observed on the hull of the 17th-century Swedish warship Vasa, following humidity variations in the Vasa Museum during the rainy summer in 2000. Analyses of total sulphur in oak cores sampled from 16 locations showed, in the outermost 2 cm., mean concentrations betwen 0.2 and 6 mass percent. Synchrotron-based sulphur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that a large amount of elemental sulphur in the moist wood was being oxidised to sulphuric acid, possibly catalysed by iron compounds, with the overall rate estimated to be about 100 kg sulphuric acid annually. Associated acid catalysed hydrolysis of the cellulose threatens the future preservation of the vessel. Results of tests of proposed new treatments using chelating agents to extract iron compounds from waterlogged wood and simultaneously neutralise acid are presented.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Conservation science 2002
Subtitle of host publication	papers from the conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland 22-24 May 2002
Editors	Joyce H. Townsend, Katherine Eremin, Annemie Adriaens
Place of Publication	London
Publisher	Archetype Publications
Pages	79-87
ISBN (Print)	1873132883
Publication status	Published - 2003
Externally published	Yes

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Other Natural Sciences
Other Humanities

Free keywords

Vasa
sulphur
sulphuric acid
X-ray spectroscopy
iron
chelates
waterlogged wood
shipwreck

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1 Paper in conference proceeding

The Sulphur Threat To The 17th Century Warship Vasa
Hall Roth, I. & Dal, L., 2003, Maritime Heritage; 1368-1435: Advances in architecture. Brebbia, C. A. & Gambin, T. (eds.). Southampton: WIT Press, Vol. 15. p. 175-182 8 p. (WIT Transactions on The Built Environment ; vol. 65).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Paper in conference proceeding › peer-review

Open Access
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Sandström, M., Jalilehvand, F., Persson, I., Fors, Y., Damian, E., Gelius, U., Hall-Roth, I., Dal, L., Richards , V., & Godfrey, I. (2003). The sulphur threat to marine archaeological artefacts: acid and iron removal from the Vasa. In J. H. Townsend, K. Eremin, & A. Adriaens (Eds.), Conservation science 2002: papers from the conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland 22-24 May 2002 (pp. 79-87). Archetype Publications.

Sandström, Magnus ; Jalilehvand, Farideh ; Persson, Ingmar et al. / The sulphur threat to marine archaeological artefacts : acid and iron removal from the Vasa. Conservation science 2002: papers from the conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland 22-24 May 2002. editor / Joyce H. Townsend ; Katherine Eremin ; Annemie Adriaens. London : Archetype Publications, 2003. pp. 79-87

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title = "The sulphur threat to marine archaeological artefacts: acid and iron removal from the Vasa",

abstract = "An outbreak of acidity and sulphate salts was observed on the hull of the 17th-century Swedish warship Vasa, following humidity variations in the Vasa Museum during the rainy summer in 2000. Analyses of total sulphur in oak cores sampled from 16 locations showed, in the outermost 2 cm., mean concentrations betwen 0.2 and 6 mass percent. Synchrotron-based sulphur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that a large amount of elemental sulphur in the moist wood was being oxidised to sulphuric acid, possibly catalysed by iron compounds, with the overall rate estimated to be about 100 kg sulphuric acid annually. Associated acid catalysed hydrolysis of the cellulose threatens the future preservation of the vessel. Results of tests of proposed new treatments using chelating agents to extract iron compounds from waterlogged wood and simultaneously neutralise acid are presented.",

keywords = "Vasa, sulphur, sulphuric acid, X-ray spectroscopy, iron, chelates, waterlogged wood, shipwreck, Vasa (regalskepp), Restaurering, Konservering (museiteknik), Marinarkeologi",

author = "Magnus Sandstr{\"o}m and Farideh Jalilehvand and Ingmar Persson and Yvonne Fors and Emiliana Damian and Ulrik Gelius and Ingrid Hall-Roth and Lovisa Dal and Vicki Richards and Ian Godfrey",

year = "2003",

language = "English",

isbn = "1873132883",

pages = "79--87",

editor = "Townsend, {Joyce H.} and Eremin, { Katherine} and Annemie Adriaens",

booktitle = "Conservation science 2002",

publisher = "Archetype Publications",

}

Sandström, M, Jalilehvand, F, Persson, I, Fors, Y, Damian, E, Gelius, U, Hall-Roth, I, Dal, L, Richards , V & Godfrey, I 2003, The sulphur threat to marine archaeological artefacts: acid and iron removal from the Vasa. in JH Townsend, K Eremin & A Adriaens (eds), Conservation science 2002: papers from the conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland 22-24 May 2002. Archetype Publications, London, pp. 79-87.

The sulphur threat to marine archaeological artefacts: acid and iron removal from the Vasa. / Sandström, Magnus; Jalilehvand, Farideh; Persson, Ingmar et al.
Conservation science 2002: papers from the conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland 22-24 May 2002. ed. / Joyce H. Townsend; Katherine Eremin; Annemie Adriaens. London: Archetype Publications, 2003. p. 79-87.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Paper in conference proceeding

TY - GEN

T1 - The sulphur threat to marine archaeological artefacts

T2 - acid and iron removal from the Vasa

AU - Sandström, Magnus

AU - Jalilehvand, Farideh

AU - Persson, Ingmar

AU - Fors, Yvonne

AU - Damian, Emiliana

AU - Gelius, Ulrik

AU - Hall-Roth, Ingrid

AU - Dal, Lovisa

AU - Richards , Vicki

AU - Godfrey, Ian

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - An outbreak of acidity and sulphate salts was observed on the hull of the 17th-century Swedish warship Vasa, following humidity variations in the Vasa Museum during the rainy summer in 2000. Analyses of total sulphur in oak cores sampled from 16 locations showed, in the outermost 2 cm., mean concentrations betwen 0.2 and 6 mass percent. Synchrotron-based sulphur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that a large amount of elemental sulphur in the moist wood was being oxidised to sulphuric acid, possibly catalysed by iron compounds, with the overall rate estimated to be about 100 kg sulphuric acid annually. Associated acid catalysed hydrolysis of the cellulose threatens the future preservation of the vessel. Results of tests of proposed new treatments using chelating agents to extract iron compounds from waterlogged wood and simultaneously neutralise acid are presented.

AB - An outbreak of acidity and sulphate salts was observed on the hull of the 17th-century Swedish warship Vasa, following humidity variations in the Vasa Museum during the rainy summer in 2000. Analyses of total sulphur in oak cores sampled from 16 locations showed, in the outermost 2 cm., mean concentrations betwen 0.2 and 6 mass percent. Synchrotron-based sulphur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that a large amount of elemental sulphur in the moist wood was being oxidised to sulphuric acid, possibly catalysed by iron compounds, with the overall rate estimated to be about 100 kg sulphuric acid annually. Associated acid catalysed hydrolysis of the cellulose threatens the future preservation of the vessel. Results of tests of proposed new treatments using chelating agents to extract iron compounds from waterlogged wood and simultaneously neutralise acid are presented.

KW - Vasa

KW - sulphur

KW - sulphuric acid

KW - X-ray spectroscopy

KW - iron

KW - chelates

KW - waterlogged wood

KW - shipwreck

KW - Vasa (regalskepp)

KW - Restaurering

KW - Konservering (museiteknik)

KW - Marinarkeologi

M3 - Paper in conference proceeding

SN - 1873132883

SP - 79

EP - 87

BT - Conservation science 2002

A2 - Townsend, Joyce H.

A2 - Eremin, Katherine

A2 - Adriaens, Annemie

PB - Archetype Publications

CY - London

ER -

The sulphur threat to marine archaeological artefacts: acid and iron removal from the Vasa

Abstract

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Free keywords

UN SDGs

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Research output

The Sulphur Threat To The 17th Century Warship Vasa

Cite this