Cysteine as a non-toxic corrosion inhibitor for copper alloys in conservation

Abstract

The aim of this work is to examine cysteine as an alternative to benzotriazole (BTA) for the conservation of archaeological objects with bronze disease. Investigation of the two inhibitors involved the use of electrochemical techniques, measurements of weight change in high humidity and comparative studies of colour changes in the corrosion products. The results obtained in this article demonstrate that cysteine could be a non-toxic alternative to BTA. Cysteine performed as well as BTA on pre-corroded coupons with bronze disease in high humidity and showed acceptable results during testing for colour alteration on real archaeological objects. © 2012 Icon, The Institute of Conservation.