Advances in understanding atmospheric corrosion of iron. I. Rust characterisation of ancient ferrous artefacts exposed to indoor atmospheric corrosion

Abstract Metallic substrates and rust layers of several hundred year old (y.o.) ferrous artefacts were characterised. Composition, structure and porosity of the rust were analysed by different methods: OM, SEM, EDS, EPMA, XRD, μXRD, SAXS, BET and mercury porosimetry. Several important parameters to describe an old rust layer were determined and measured. These parameters will be used for the modelling of long-term indoor atmospheric corrosion.