Novel, effective and safe coatings for the protection of copper-based artefacts

Degradation processes in cultural heritage metal artefacts represents a critical issue since they can irreversibly compromise the conservation status of valuable works of art. The products used to hinder these processes are mainly based on harmful or toxic corrosion inhibitors and solvents. Namely, large amounts of organic solvents are typically used by conservators for the application and removal of protective materials. In the last decades, the search for new materials that can simultaneously satisfy protective, aesthetic and safety requirements is receiving an increasing attention. In this contest, we have focused our attention on the development of sustainable polymer coatings that can provide an active protection and that are easy to be applied and removed using water-based solvents. A green polymer from renewable sources, such as chitosan, was selected and functionalized with anticorrosive species. Validation tests were performed on model copper-based substrates with different composition and surface finish. The performances were compared with a commercial benchmark.