Análisis de cloruros en la zona grafitizada de un cañón de hierro procedente del pecio Bucentaure (La Caleta, Cádiz) tratado mediante polarización catódica de baja intensidad.

Abstract

An iron cannon, 12-long caliber, from the wreck Bucentaure (La Caleta, Cádiz) is stabilized by cathodic polarization at low current density in the laboratory of the Underwater Archaeology Centre of the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (CAS-IAPH). Among the remains of the ship Bucentaure, ship of the fleet combined Spanish-French at the Battle of Trafalgar -1805- there are a large number of iron cannons covered by thick layers of mineral and biological colonization. One of the most representative cannons from the wreck has been removed for study and conservation. The electrochemical process of stabilization by polarization with low current density has allowed the complete removal of chloride content in the graphitized zone of the cannon. The result of the analysis performed by XRD, XRF and SEM/EDX on samples taken from different depths in the graphitized zone was established as an effective tool to monitor the success of treatment.