Danish chemist helps England extend lifespan of world-renowned shipwreck

UCPH ^ | November 15, 2021 | University of Copenhagen

[SunkenCiv]

The crown jewel of Henry VIII’s 16th century fleet was its flagship, the venerable Mary Rose. More than 500 years after its launch, the vessel remains a precious cultural treasure. Though she ploughed the Atlantic and battled with her heavy cannons for 34 years – and laid buried beneath the turbulent English Channel for 437 more, bacteria and chemicals have begun eating away at her remnants, on display at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, England. Thankfully, the ship’s conservators have received a helping hand.

A new X-ray method has allowed an international team of researchers to identify zinc-sulfide nanoparticles in the ship's timbers that are contributing to the ship's decay. Until now, this information was impossible to learn from the wood...

The Mary Rose sank during a naval battle with France in 1543 and was excavated in 1982, in what remains the world's most expensive salvaging operation – an event watched by 60 million viewers on live TV. At the time, 19,000 objects from the Tudor period were fished from the sea along with the shipwreck.

Today, the remains of the ship are on display at The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth. But after more than 400 years at the bottom of the English Channel, the wooden ship's hull is vulnerable to decomposition. The threat includes deposits from metal parts on the ship and bacteria which trigger acid attacks on the timbers. The same threat applies to other cultural artefacts around the world that degrade after being found.

[Redcitizen]

One reason I mentioned them was I picked up a tin of them this afternoon. Great stuff. Ive got tea to go with mine. Enjoy your cookies. :)

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, that’s what I remembered as well. I think I’d conflated two different ships, apparently that’s a common thing.

The Vasa, a Swedish flagship, had its magazine go kablooey and there was only one survivor — he flew upward a long way, could see all the battle laid out under him, and he landed in the sails of another ship.

Annnnnd, it turns out, that wasn’t the Vasa. It wasn’t the Mars either, probably. I remember a story with illustration, but can’t find the info. Ah well, someone here may know.

[SunkenCiv]

And given the size of the structure, how would it have to be applied?

[Cold Heart]

Application would not be the problem, the chemistry of the compound being applied is the key.

I have used commercial and my own formulated, wood penetrating epoxies for rotten wood preservation. There other recent products. Mostly they are thin or thinned resins that penetrate. I have found they work in some circumstances but not others.

I have some historic iron objects (deck, wharf, and railroad rail, nails, spikes) that present their own problems depending where they resided. The worst are ones that have been in a salt environment and the major portion of the object is rust that is ready to flake off. I have some water based rust inhibiting chemicals but they exacerbate the flaking. I have resisted using any resins or oils because they obviously alter the appearance

An interesting case I am aware of was where a museum consulted a rust preventing chemical manufacturer (Cortec), on the preservation of a dinosaur fossil.
The fossil had a high iron content and was rusting once exposure to the air occurred. Cortec manufactures chemicals that emit corrosion inhibiting vapors used in industrial and military applications including electronics. They were able to provide an appropriate product.