Protective treatments for the protection and preservation of aircraft artefacts from world war II

This study explores the effectiveness of different coatings in preserving aluminum alloy aircraft wrecks. In cultural heritage conservation, coatings must not only protect artefacts under corrosive exhibition conditions but also maintain their visual integrity and be reversible for future treatments. Three coatings were selected and tested: Paraloid™, commonly used in conservation; Dinitrol™, an industrial product for aluminum protection; and Cutin, a novel coating derived from recycled tomato peels. Each coating was assessed based on its protective ability, aesthetic impact, and reversibility. Paraloid™, while aesthetically pleasing and easily reversible, offers limited protection, especially outdoors. Dinitrol™ demonstrated superior protective qualities, with high impedance values indicating strong corrosion resistance. However, its reversibility properties are limited. Cutin showed promise as a protective coating. It is also reversible with ethanol. However, its current formulation affects the surface appearance due to residual tomato pigments.