Protective coatings for metallic heritage conservation: A review
María Teresa Molina, Eusebio Cano Carmona, Blanca Ramírez Barat
Abstract
The study and development of protective coatings for metallic heritage is a topic of continuous research, with the main objective of ensuring the protection of the object for as long as possible. The limitations imposed by conservation and restoration criteria, together with the diversity of factors involved, make metal protection an unresolved subject. In addition to the nature of the protective coating, different factors can influence its effectiveness, which may mean that one type of protection performs well in a certain environment or on one type of metal and not on another. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive review of the coatings used in the conservation of metallic heritage from the last decades to the present day. Studies carried out on coatings of the different families according to their nature/composition (waxes, acrylic resins, nitrocellulose lacquers, fluoropolymers, carboxylates, organosilanes compounds and other coatings) have been reviewed, considering the substrate, application, weathering and examination.