Protection of bronze artefacts through polymeric coatings based on nanocarriers filled with corrosion inhibitors

Protective coatings based on polymers synthesized from renewable sources (chitosan or an amorphous vinyl alcohol based polymer) have been prepared for the protection of bronze artifacts from corrosion. Besides acting as an effective barrier against corrosive species present in the environment, the efficiency of the coatings has been improved by adding corrosion inhibitor compounds (benzotriazole or mercaptobenzothiazole) to the formulations. The liquid medium of the formulations has been carefully selected looking at maximizing the wettability on the bronze substrate and optimizing the solvent evaporation rate. The minimum amount of inhibitor compounds has been optimized by performing accelerated corrosion tests on coated bronze substrates. The inhibitors have been directly dissolved in the coating-forming solutions and/or introduced by means of nanocarriers, which allow to control the release kinetics. The free dissolved inhibitor molecules immediately provide a sufficient protection against corrosion. On the other hand, the inhibitor molecules contained in the nanocarriers serve as long-term reservoir, which can be activated by external corrosion-related stimuli in case of particularly severe conditions. Particular attention has been paid to other features which affect the coating performances. Specifically, the adhesion of the protective polymer layer to the bronze substrate has been assessed, as well as its permeability properties and transparency, the latter being a fundamental feature of protective coating for cultural heritages. Finally, the protective efficiency of the produced smart coatings has been assessed through accelerated corrosion tests.