The Possibilities of Conservation and Preservation of Collections of Artefacts Containing Pyrites
Keywords:
pyrite, degradation, oxidation, conservation, preservation, polymer coatingAbstract
The objects containing Fe sulfides in mineralogical, archaeological or paleontological collections are often subject to degradation reactions which lead to their complete destruction. This "pyrite disease" is supported particularly by high humidity, oxygen and some bacteria. The review presents basic methods of cleaning and removing corrosion products from the artefact surface and describes their protection. The attention is paid to protective polymer coatings and chemical surface passivation.