Nanoscale anticorrosive protection of pipe organ metallic materials

Historical pipe organs with their unique sound and beautiful housing are important objects of the European cultural heritage dating back to the 15th century for the oldest ones being playable yet. But new instruments are built permanently up to the present time. The instruments contain mostly a considerable number of metallic pipes (flute and reed types), which are sometimes prone to heavy corrosion attack from their environment, resulting finally in a loss of their voice. Under certain conditions, the atmospheric corrosion of reed pipe tongues as well as flute pipe foots consisting of Cu-Zn alloys (brass) and PbSn-based alloys, respectively, is strongly enhanced by traces of volatile organic compounds (especially acetic acid vapor) and other corrosive gases.
Investigations have been undertaken to explore the corrosion resistance of CuZn and PbSn-based alloys against vapour from an aqueous solution containing high acetic acid concentration (2 – 5 v/v%), by deposition of protective films of either Al2O3 or Al on the nanoscale using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and magnetron sputtering (MS). Afterwards, in order to improve the adhesion between the deposited layer and the substrate as well as to perform a kind of nitridation of the coatings, the samples were implanted with nitrogen ions using the plasma immersion ion implantation (PI3) process. Such a nanoscale coating (~50 nm) is then able to withstand stresses and vibrations due to sound generation in organ pipes. Moreover it produces a barrier to volatile organic acids and water vapour. The laboratory corrosion test of the applied protective treatment for lead-tin and brass samples were combined with the field work studies to approach the best conditions for the samples research in real environment. Some of the samples were exposed for 15 months in a small North-German church with a harmful (corrosive) indoor environment.
Modification and analysis of the surface of metals and thin film properties on the nanoscale using fundamental phenomena based on ion-solid interactions as well as standard conventional methods can create new technological applications in restoration and conservation to protect our historical and modern cultural heritage in regard to environmental attacks.