The surface microchemical structure of high tin leaded bronze Roman mirrors has been studied by means of scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical microscopy (OM) techniques. The results allowed understanding of the origin of their high chemical stability and silvery-lustrous appearance. Indeed, some areas of the selected Roman mirrors are still characterised by a highly reflective and silver coloured surface even though they have been buried in the soil for about 2000 years. The micro-chemical results obtained from these areas have revealed that the mirror surface was tin enriched via inverse-segregation phenomenon by tailoring the cooling parameters. Furthermore, the presence of tin could be likely enhanced via cycles of oxidation and selective copper corrosion processes, thus resulting in a tin surface enrichment as a semi-transparent amorphous-like tin oxide (SnO2) film, as well as a copper depletion at the outer surfaces.
Bronze roman mirrors: the secret of brightness / INGO G.M; PLESCIA P; ANGELINI E.; RICCUCCI C; DE CARO T. - In: APPLIED PHYSICS. A, MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING. - ISSN 0947-8396. - STAMPA. - 83:4(2006), pp. 611-615. [10.1007/s00339-006-3535-y]
Titolo: | Bronze roman mirrors: the secret of brightness | |
Autori: | ||
Data di pubblicazione: | 2006 | |
Rivista: | ||
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00339-006-3535-y | |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1 Articolo in rivista |
File in questo prodotto:
http://hdl.handle.net/11583/1524871