Rust Never Sleeps

Recognizing Metals and Their Corrosion Products

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Rust never sleeps : recognizing metals and their corrosion products/Bart Ankersmit ... [et al.].

Issued also in French under title: Contre le temps, contre la rouille.

ISBN 978-0-662-48099-0
Cat. no.: R62-398/2008E

1. Metals--Corrosion fatigue.
2. Corrosion and anti-corrosives.
3. Antiquities--Collection and preservation.

I. Parks Canada, Western and Northern Service Centre

II. Title

TA462.R87 2008 620.1’1223 C2008-980106-7

Weeping iron (droplets of water), Nestor Gonzalez, H. L. Hunley Project, Warren Lasch
Conservation Center, South Carolina.
 Rust Never Sleeps
Acknowledgements Recognizing Metals and Their Corrosion Products
Parks Canada conservators regularly visit national historic sites and parks to perform by Bart Ankersmit, Martina Griesser-Stermscheg,
artifact assessments, and to provide on-site conservation treatments and training Lyndsie Selwyn and Susanne Sutherland
for collections management staff and seasonal employees. Producing a corrosion
identification booklet for staff was born during a site visit in 2002.
Thanks to Lana Chan and Liz Croome of Cultural Resource Services in the Western
I hear and I forget,
and Northern Service Centre, the booklet took on a life of its own. From 2003 until I see and I remember,
publication we have had the generous assistance and guidance of Lyndsie Selwyn, I do and I understand.
corrosion scientist at the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI). We also collaborated The wisdom of this Chinese proverb guided us in writing and illustrating this
with Martina Griesser-Stermscheg, University of Applied Arts Vienna and Bart booklet. By providing clear descriptions and helpful tips, accompanied by
Ankersmit, conservation scientist, The Netherlands Institute for Culture Heritage.
useful photographs, we hope it will assist you in identifying corrosion products
We sincerely appreciate their contributions to this project.
on artifacts at your historic site. We would appreciate your comments and
We would like to extend our thanks to Margaret Bertulli, Dawn DeCraene-Young, feedback.
Bob Coutts, Marcy Kasdorf, Sandra Santesso, Catherine Shields, Suzanne Therrien-
Richards, Judy Toews and many other Parks staff, colleagues and friends who have Authors
been enthusiastic about the production and publication of Rust Never Sleeps.
Sincere thanks go to Catherine Blackbourn, Ontario Museum Association, who has Bart Ankersmit
given support and inspiration professionally and personally over the last several Conservation Scientist, The Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage,
years. Another mentor, Carol Johnston now retired from the London Regional Postbox 76709, 1070 EA Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Tel: 020 305 47 37,
Children’s Museum, deserves mention for her guidance. Fax: 020 395 46 00, email: [email protected]
Very special thanks to the folks at the Rust-Oleum Corporation for the generous Martina Griesser-Stermscheg
permission to use their slogan, “Rust Never Sleeps” as the booklet’s title. We are in
Conservator, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Conservation Department,
good company, as singer songwriter, Neil Young received similar permission to name
his famous 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps. Merci bien to Suzanne Therrien-Richards Salzgries 14/ 3-5, A-1010 Vienna, Austria, Tel: 0043-1-71133-4815,
for the evocative French title, Contre La Rouille, Contre Le Temps. email: [email protected]
Lyndsie Selwyn organized the information and gathered images used to illustrate the Lyndsie Selwyn
booklet. Merci bien and thank you to the French and English editors at CCI who have given Senior Conservation Scientist, Canadian Conservation Institute,
us an easy-to-read text in both official languages. CCI has also put the text and 1030 Innes Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0M5. Tel: (613) 998-3721,
photographs on their website at: www.cci-icc.gc.ca/headlines/metalbrochure/index_e.aspx Fax: (613) 998-4721, email: [email protected]
Thank you to the following for allowing Parks Canada to use their images: Canadian
Susanne Sutherland
Conservation Institute, Ottawa; Warren Lasch Conservation Centre, South Carolina;
The Netherlands Institute for Culture Heritage, Amsterdam; University of Applied Arts,
Conservator, Inorganics & Composites, Parks Canada, Western and Northern
Vienna; Parks Canada’s Atlantic and Manitoba Service Centres; Stedelijik Museum, Service Centre, 145 McDermot Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0R9.
Amsterdam; Museum Valkhof, Nijmegen; the Groninger Museum, Groningen; Royal Tel: (204) 984-8110, Fax: (204) 984-3726, email: [email protected]
Alberta Museum, Edmonton; the Bavarian National Museum, Munich; the Glenbow
Museum, Calgary; the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden; and the Maritime Objectives of the Brochure
Museum, Amsterdam. • help staff responsible for the historic houses, museums, churches
Final thanks is reserved for the Western and Northern Service Centre’s talented • act as a visual guide to problems and damage occasionally observed
graphic designer, Shouresh Jalili, whose creative spirit has transformed corrosion in metal collections
identification into a very user friendly, sexy and colourful booklet. • offer tips for the proper care of metal objects
The Authors • provide reference material for further reading
Copper
and
Copper
Alloys
(Brass and Bronze)

Recognizing Copper
• c olour of bare metal: various shades of yellow
(pure copper is reddish)
• not magnetic (but brass-plated iron will be magnetic)
• brass is an alloy of copper plus zinc
• bronze is an alloy of copper plus tin

Copper Corrosion
Copper and Copper Alloys (Brass and Bronze)
• tarnish (or patina) is black
•m
 ore serious corrosion is green or blue-green
(may be red underneath)
• fingerprints easily stain polished metal
• o rganic acids react with copper to form green
corrosion products
Recognizing Metals

Copper and
Copper Alloys
(Brass and Bronze)

Copper objects (Figure 1) 1

Freshly polished copper objects have a reddish-orange colour. Examples
of objects made from copper include coins, roofing, cookware, and pipes.
Shown here is a copper vase.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

Brass objects (Figure 2)

Freshly polished brass is usually yellow. Shown here is brass that has
been partly patinated. Other examples of brass objects are candlesticks,
military accessories, and musical and scientific instruments.
Photograph courtesy of Martina Griesser-Stermscheg.

Bronze objects (Figure 3)

Although polished bronze is normally yellow, objects made with bronze
are brown in colour because they have tarnished. Intentionally patinated
bronzes can be many colours. Examples of bronze objects are statues,
bells, and Chinese mirrors. This photograph shows a cast bronze figure
with a natural tarnish layer.
Photograph courtesy Colleen Day, Parks Canada, Atlantic Region.

2 3
Corrosion

Copper and
Copper Alloys

4 5

Tarnished copper (Figure 4)

Polished copper gradually tarnishes. This darkening is caused by
sulphur-containing gases (e.g. pollution, rubber, wool) in the air. This
photograph shows a copper pot with the left side tarnished and the right
side just polished.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

Tarnished brass (Figure 5)

Polished brass can also tarnish. This photograph shows a polished brass
candlestick on the left and on the right, a tarnished brass candlestick.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.
6
Fingerprints on copper (Figure 6)
Fingerprints on a polished surface are caused by touching it with bare
hands. This photograph shows fingerprints on a copper surface.
Photograph courtesy of Martina Griesser-Stermscheg.

Polish residue on copper alloys (Figure 7)

Polish residue after polishing with liquid polishes can leak through holes and
be left beneath an object. This photograph shows polish on the underside of
a brass object.
Photograph courtesy of Susanne Sutherland, Parks Canada, Winnipeg.

7
Corrosion

Copper Alloys

Residue in crevices
of copper alloys (Figure 8)
Residue in crevices results after polishing if the abrasive materials remain in
crevices or engraved areas because of inadequate rinsing. The green colour is 13.b
copper corrosion staining the white abrasive. This photograph shows a close up
of green copper corrosion, on a copper pot, located in the join where the brass
handle joins the copper pot.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

Local spots of green corrosion 8 9

on copper alloys (Figure 9)
Local green spots on copper alloy objects may be caused by exposure to
organic acids from coatings on leather. This photograph shows waxy green
corrosion that has formed on a brass surface adjacent to leather.
Photograph courtesy of Bart Ankersmit and the Army Museum, Delft.

Green corrosion on
outdoor copper alloys (Figure 10)
Green copper corrosion products form on copper alloys when they are
exposed outdoors. This photograph shows this green patina on an outdoor
bronze sculpture.
Photograph courtesy of Colleen Day, Parks Canada, Atlantic Region.

Bronze disease on
archaeological copper alloys (Figure 11)
Bronze disease appears as light-green spots of corrosion and is caused
by the accumulation of salt (sodium chloride) during burial. This photograph
shows an example of bronze disease on an archaeological copper alloy blade.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

10 11
IRON

Recognizing Iron
• colour of bare metal: silvery-grey
• almost always magnetic (certain stainless steels
are not magnetic)
• h istoric wrought iron is almost pure iron
(<0.1% carbon) with glass inclusions
• steel is iron plus 0.2 to 2% carbon
• cast iron is iron plus 2 to 4% carbon
• stainless steel is iron plus chromium and nickel

Iron Corrosion
Iron and Iron Alloys (Wrought and Cast)
• corrosion is rust-coloured (red, yellow, red-brown)
• r apid rusting (flash rusting) is caused by a sudden
increase in relative humidity
• d rops of liquid on iron or dry, hollow shells are
evidence of contamination by salt (chlorides)
Recognizing Metals

Iron

Wrought iron objects (Figure 12)

Corroded wrought iron objects have a wood-like structure. This photograph
shows a corroded wrought iron chain. Other examples of wrought iron
objects are nails, rails, and anchors
12 13
Photograph courtesy of Henry Unglick, Parks Canada, Ottawa.

Steel objects (Figure 13)

Uncorroded steel objects have a silvery-gray colour. Many tools and
machinery (lathes, milling machines) are made from steel. This photograph
shows a putty knife that has a steel blade.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

Cast Iron Objects (Figure 14 and 15)

Uncorroded cast iron objects have a silvery-gray colour. Examples of
cast iron objects include pots, pans, fire grates, stoves, cannon, and
cannon balls. Figure 14 is a cast iron frying pan and figure 15 is a cast iron 14
hand grenade.
Photographs courtesy of Canadian Conservation Institute.

Stainless steel objects (Figure 16)

Stainless steel objects have a silvery-gray colour and do not easily rust.
Stainless steel is used to make cooking utensils, cutlery, decorative
architectural hardware, and for many other industrial purposes. Stainless
steel cutlery is shown in this photograph.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

15 16
Corrosion

Iron

Stable corrosion (stable rust) (Figure 17) 17

Stable rust is red-brown in colour, usually well adhered, and is caused by exposure
to moisture sometime during an object’s lifetime. Shown in this photograph is
an historic vehicle with many of its iron components covered with rust. This rust
will remain unchanged as long as the relative humidity remains low.
Photograph courtesy of Canadian Conservation Institute.

Damage by ongoing rusting (Figure 18)

Ongoing rusting is caused by high humidity. The continued formation
19
of rust causes flaking (or flaking of paint if the surface was painted), surface
deformations, and spalling. This photograph shows rust pushing off a
dark coating.
Photograph courtesy of Martina Griesser-Stermscheg.

Local rusting (Figure 19)

Local rusting appears as small areas of rust on bare (uncorroded) iron. It is
caused by water remaining in one spot. It might also be caused by the local
accumulation of dust or dirt. This photograph shows local rusting on an iron blade.
Photograph courtesy of John Watt, Parks Canada, Winnipeg.

Fingerprints on bare iron (Figure 20)

Touching unrusted iron can result in fingerprints or, as shown in this
photograph, handprints.
Photograph courtesy of Joosje van Bennekom, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

18 20
Corrosion

Iron

Flash rusting on iron (Figure 21)

Flash rusting is rapid rusting on iron just after exposure to high humidity (e.g.
a flood). The rust that forms is bright orange. This photograph shows this rapid
rusting on a dinner knife.
Photograph courtesy of Susanne Sutherland, Parks Canada, Winnipeg. 21 22

Delamination of iron (Figure 22)

Prolonged corrosion of iron, especially if contaminated with salts, can result
in delamination, as shown in this photograph of an archaeological spade from
the 1st century.
Photograph courtesy of Ronny Meijers, Museum Valkhof, Nijmegen.

Weeping iron (droplets of water) (Figure 23)

Weeping iron. This is the formation of small round droplets of water at high relative
humidity. These droplets become covered with a thin film of rust. It is caused by
salt contamination in objects (these are usually archaeological).
Photograph courtesy of Nestor Gonzalez, H.L. Hunley Project, Warren Lasch Conservation
Center, South Carolina.

Weeping iron (dry, hollow shells) (Figure 24)

Weeping iron. After weeping has occurred and the relative humidity has
dropped, an iron object is often covered with hollow shells of rust. This
photograph shows an example of these hollow shells.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

23 24
Silver

Recognizing Silver
• c olour of bare metal: silvery-grey
(highly reflective when polished)
• not magnetic
• p ossibly stamped to indicate sterling silver or
silver plate
• sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper
• s ilver-plate stamped EPBM is silver plated onto
Britannia metal (an alloy of mainly tin with some
antimony and copper)
• silver-plate stamped EPNS is silver plated onto nickel silver
(an alloy of mainly copper with some nickel and zinc)

Silver Corrosion
Silver-plate and Silver Alloys (Sterling Silver)
• tarnish is black if thick
• tarnish can be the colours of a rainbow if thin
• fingerprints easily stain polished silver
Recognizing Metals

Silver

25

Sterling silver objects (Figure 25)

Sterling silver is used to make dishes, jewellery, and liturgical objects. This
photograph shows an example of two pieces of sterling silver flatware.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.
Silver-plated objects (Figure 26)
Objects plated with silver are less expensive than those made with sterling
silver. Examples of silver-plated objects include flatware, serving dishes,
jewellery, liturgical objects, candlesticks, and trophies. This photograph
shows the back of a silver-plated fork stamped with the letters E.P.N.S.
indicating “electroplated nickel silver,” which means that the silver has been
electroplated onto a nickel-silver alloy (a copper-rich alloy containing nickel
and zinc, but no silver).
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

26
Corrosion

Silver
Tarnish on silver alloys (Figure 27)
27 28
Tarnish on silver is the gradual discoloration of silver. A thin layer of tarnish
looks yellow. Tarnish is caused by sulphur-containing gases (e.g., pollution,
rubber, wool). The spoon on the left has been cleaned (no tarnish) and the
spoon on the right has not been cleaned and is covered with tarnish.
Photograph courtesy of Bart Ankersmit and the Groninger Museum.

Interference colours on silver (Figure 28)

Thin tarnish layers on silver can vary from yellow to red to blue before the
layer becomes black, its final colour. This photograph shows red and blue
interference colours on the outer edges of a silver object.
Photograph courtesy of Margo Brunn, Royal Alberta Museum.

Fingerprints (Figure 29)

Fingerprints are caused by touching silver with bare hands. This photograph shows
tarnished silver with fingerprints.
Photograph courtesy of Sandra Santesso, Parks Canada, Winnipeg.

Loss of plating (Figure 30) 29 30

Damage to the plating layer or to surface detail can be caused by cleaning
with an abrasive polish or by excessive handling. This photograph shows detail
of the loss of the silver layer from a silver-plated copper tray caused by repeated
cleaning with an abrasive polish.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

Residue in crevices after

polishing silver (Figure 31)
Polish residue on a silver object. Polish residue can be left on silver objects
after abrasive polishing if the object was not rinsed well enough. The residual
material is often trapped in crevices and can be white or stained green if cop-
per is present under the plating or in the silver alloy. The white areas in this
photograph show polish residue.
Photograph courtesy of Martina Griesser-Stermscheg.

31
Tin
Recognizing Tin
• colour of bare metal: silvery-grey
• not magnetic (but tin-plated iron will be magnetic)
•m
 odern pewter is mainly tin plus some antimony
and copper
• old pewter may also contain lead

Tin Corrosion
Tin-plate and Tin Alloys (Pewter)
• tarnish (patina) is darkening of bare metal
• tarnish on leaded pewter is dark gray 32

• tin corrosion products are either white or black

• rust on tin-plate is corrosion of underlying iron

Tin-plated objects (Figure 32)

Tin-plated iron is used to make tin cans, kitchen utensils and dishes.
Shown in this photograph is a funnel made with tin-plated iron.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

Modern pewter (Figure 33)

Modern pewter is an alloy of mainly tin, with some copper and antimony,
but no lead. Pewter is easily cast and is used to make jewellery, dishes,
vases, candlesticks, and trophies. This photograph shows a dish made
from modern pewter.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

33
Lead
Recognizing Lead
• c olour of bare metal: dull silvery-grey
(cannot be polished)
• not magnetic
• objects are relatively heavy
• soft solder (mixtures of lead and tin)

Lead Corrosion
Lead and Lead Alloys (Solder)
• tarnish (or patina) is dark gray
• corrosion products are usually white
• lead is susceptible to corrosion by acetic acid
(often from wood products)

LEAD OBJECTS (Figure 34)

Lead has a low melting point and is easily cast. It has been used to make
weights, communion tokens, inexpensive jewellery, components in ship
models, type metal for printing, solder, ammunition, and toys. Shown in this
photograph is an ingot of pure lead.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

34
Corrosion
Tin, Tin-plate, Pewter, and Lead
Stable patina on leaded pewter (Figure 35)
Old pewter usually contains lead and gradually darkens with time to form
a dark gray patina. This photograph shows an example of a pewter tankard
with its dark gray patina.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute. active stable
35 36
White corrosion versus
stable patina on lead (Figure 36)
Lead gradually darkens with time to form a stable dark gray patina (see the
arrow on the right hand side). Lead suffering from active corrosion turns
white (see the arrow on the left hand side).
Photograph courtesy of Bart Ankersmit and the Maritime Museum, Amsterdam.

White corrosion on lead (Figure 37)

White corrosion on lead is usually caused by exposure to volatile organic acids
such as acetic acid (vinegar). This photograph shows lead communion tokens
after storage in wood drawers. The lead tokens covered with white corrosion
and surrounded by white particles are suffering from active corrosion; the
other tokens are not.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute.

Gray crystals on lead alloys (Figure 38) 37 38

Corrosion on lead can be caused by formic acid. This photograph shows gray
crystals of lead formate on a wheel on a toy T.63.46.18 after nine years in a
large sealed display case.
Photograph courtesy of the Glenbow Museum.

Rusting of tinplate (Figure 39)

Tin-plated iron often suffers from the rusting of iron. This photograph shows
red iron rust showing through the shiny layer of tin plating.
Photograph courtesy of Susanne Sutherland, Parks Canada, Winnipeg.

White corrosion on tin (Figure 40)

Tin corrodes when exposed to moisture. This photograph shows archaeological tin
on which white corrosion is causing the dark paint to delaminate.
Photograph courtesy of Bart Ankersmit and the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden.
39 40
Problems and Solutions Appendix: Factors of Deterioration
Further information can be found in the reference section listed below. When The following factors can affect the deterioration of objects in collections.
in doubt, consult a conservator. They are often used as a basis for assessing the risks to a collection:
Contaminants and Pollutants
PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS • accelerate metal corrosion
• contaminants may be from
• Damage caused by handling minimize handling, wear cotton gloves — sulphur-containing gases (e.g. food, polluted air)
• Damage caused by abrasive cleaning clean only when necessary; use softest — cleaning chemicals (especially aerosols)
abrasive for the job (e.g. paste of pre- — soot, dust and dirt
cipitated calcium carbonate and water) — degrading plastics
Fire
• New corrosion of metal under plating isolate object in a dry environment
• loss of collection
• Loss of plating layer leave alone to save information about
Handling (and other physical forces)
history of use
• corrodes metals (from salts and acids on bare hands)
• Condensation inside sealed plastic bag (a) break seal by cutting small holes in • damages objects (e.g. scratching, dents, breakage)
bag to promote ventilation or (b) add a Incorrect relative humidity
drying agent (e.g. dry silica gel) to the • corrodes metals above about 65% relative humidity
bag and then reseal
Incorrect temperature
• Blue-green corrosion on copper alloys add ventilation to case; consider • damages sensitive material (e.g. wood) associated with metals
inside wood case painting case
Light
• Tarnish on silver store inside a sealed plastic bag; better • fades light-sensitive material (e.g. ribbons) associated with metals
yet seal inside a plastic bag containing
dry silica gel and activated charcoal Pests
• attack organic material associated with metals
• White or gray corrosion on lead provide better ventilation to dilute
Security
source of problem (volatile organic
• loss of portable, valuable, or rare objects
acids) and consult a conservator about
safe corrosion removal and disposal Water
• corrodes metals
•D
 ifficulty finding conservation See reference section below. See CCI
• water may come from:
resources Notes (9 series) available on the CCI
— burst pipes
Web site. See also the Preserving my
— melting ice
Heritage web site.
— leaks because of heavy rain and wind
• Difficulty finding conservation advice When in doubt, consult a conservator. — floods
For more information, see the Canadian — condensation
Association of Professional Conserva-
tors (CAPC) Web site.
 References
Barclay, B. and C. Hett. The Cleaning, Polishing and Protective Waxing of Brass
and Copper. CCI Notes 9/3. Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute, 1988.

Canadian Conservation Institute. Recognizing Active Corrosion. CCI Notes 9/1.

Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute, 1997.

Canadian Conservation Institute. Storage of Metals. CCI Notes 9/2. Ottawa:

Canadian Conservation Institute, 1995.

Canadian Conservation Institute. Basic Care of Coins, Medals and Medallic Art.
CCI Notes 9/4. Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute, 1997.

Canadian Conservation Institute. Care and Cleaning of Iron. CCI Notes 9/6.
Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute, 1995. Martina Griesser-Stermscheg Lyndsie Selwyn

Drayman-Weisser, T. “Metal objects.” pp. 108-121 in Caring for Your Collections

(ed. H. Whelchel). New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1992.

Prytulak, G. Mechanical Removal of Rust from Machined Ferrous Surfaces.

CCI Notes 9/8. Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute, 1996.

Selwyn, L. Silver - Care and Tarnish Removal. CCI Notes 9/7. Ottawa: Canadian
Conservation Institute, 1997.

Selwyn, L. Metals and Corrosion: A Handbook for the Conservation Professional.

Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute, 2004.

Tétreault, J. “Display Materials: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.” pp. 79-87 in Bart Ankersmit Susanne Sutherland
Exhibitions and Conservation. Edinburgh: Scottish Society for Conservation and
Restoration, 1994.

All photography featured in this publication is protected by copy right laws as

applicable. For further information on individual images and usage rights contact
Susanne Sutherland at (204) 984-8110.
Notes