Anticorrosion studies for pipe organ-related materials using plasma processing

The present historical organs are musical instruments, which provide sound impression of divine music spanning six centuries. Unfortunately, organ pipes, traditionally made of PbSn alloys, have been severely affected by corrosion in the last couple of centuries, and particularly over the last decades. A major threat to the historical organs is harmful indoor environments. Thus, it is necessary to develop a method of protecting the organ pipes, so that the significant cultural heritage obtained over many centuries does not get lost. A new conservation concept based on nanotechnology using plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) is proposed here for the protection of PbSn alloys exposed to high levels of acetic acid vapors.