Tratamiento de conservación a gran escala de piezas de artillería pesada de hierro fundido y procedencia subacuática. Procedimientos metodológicos

Abstract

This paper describes the simultaneous cleaning and chloride extraction, through electrolysis treatment, of 17 underwater-origin cast iron barrels from XVIII century coming from a casual find. Within a low-budget context, customized vats were made. Specific tools for the cleaning of the pieces were also developed: a high-precision drill to access the bore of the barrels and rotating work bases. Moreover, a new stabilization technique for large casting pieces was applied by wrapping them in absorbent material impregnated in NaOH. The selection of the current density for the electrolysis treatment was established by a previous test, which demonstrated the higher efficiency of 50 µAcm¯ ² against 1000 µAcm¯ ². The description of the tasks performed, along with the novel methodological procedures provided, constitute a valuable information for future actions in the field of large-scale conservation of Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH).