Synthesizing lead white pigments by lead corrosion: New insights into the ancient manufacturing processes

Victor Gonzalez; Gilles Wallez; Thomas Calligaro; Didier Gourier; Michel Menu

doi:10.1016/j.corsci.2018.10.033

Synthesizing lead white pigments by lead corrosion: New insights into the ancient manufacturing processes

Victor Gonzalez, Gilles Wallez^*, Thomas Calligaro, Didier Gourier, Michel Menu

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Traditional “stack “manufacturing process (16–19th c.) of lead white pigment by lead corrosion is explored by exposing metal to acetic acid, carbon dioxide, dioxygen and water vapor. Global reaction scheme is revealed, along with stratification of corrosion products with CO₂ gradient, leading to flakiness of corrosion layer. Kinetic and epitaxial features rule the polyphased structure, explaining hydrocerussite-rich compositions and absence of plumbonacrite in classical easel paintings. Microstructure of cerussite appears as a differentiation criterion between stack-made and industrial precipitation-synthesized lead whites. Particular conditions reported in ancient writings are tested and discussed to understand unusual processes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	10-17
Journal	Corrosion Science
Volume	146
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2018.10.033
Publication status	Published - 2019

Keywords

A. Lead white
B. X-ray diffraction
C. Carbonation
C. Cultural heritage materials
C. Pigment

Access to Document

10.1016/j.corsci.2018.10.033

Cite this

@article{133e634714534ae8a95143c9e880e60b,

title = "Synthesizing lead white pigments by lead corrosion: New insights into the ancient manufacturing processes",

abstract = "Traditional “stack “manufacturing process (16–19th c.) of lead white pigment by lead corrosion is explored by exposing metal to acetic acid, carbon dioxide, dioxygen and water vapor. Global reaction scheme is revealed, along with stratification of corrosion products with CO2 gradient, leading to flakiness of corrosion layer. Kinetic and epitaxial features rule the polyphased structure, explaining hydrocerussite-rich compositions and absence of plumbonacrite in classical easel paintings. Microstructure of cerussite appears as a differentiation criterion between stack-made and industrial precipitation-synthesized lead whites. Particular conditions reported in ancient writings are tested and discussed to understand unusual processes.",

keywords = "A. Lead white, B. X-ray diffraction, C. Carbonation, C. Cultural heritage materials, C. Pigment",

author = "Victor Gonzalez and Gilles Wallez and Thomas Calligaro and Didier Gourier and Michel Menu",

year = "2019",

doi = "10.1016/j.corsci.2018.10.033",

language = "English",

volume = "146",

pages = "10--17",

journal = "Corrosion Science",

issn = "0010-938X",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Synthesizing lead white pigments by lead corrosion

T2 - New insights into the ancient manufacturing processes

AU - Gonzalez, Victor

AU - Wallez, Gilles

AU - Calligaro, Thomas

AU - Gourier, Didier

AU - Menu, Michel

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Traditional “stack “manufacturing process (16–19th c.) of lead white pigment by lead corrosion is explored by exposing metal to acetic acid, carbon dioxide, dioxygen and water vapor. Global reaction scheme is revealed, along with stratification of corrosion products with CO2 gradient, leading to flakiness of corrosion layer. Kinetic and epitaxial features rule the polyphased structure, explaining hydrocerussite-rich compositions and absence of plumbonacrite in classical easel paintings. Microstructure of cerussite appears as a differentiation criterion between stack-made and industrial precipitation-synthesized lead whites. Particular conditions reported in ancient writings are tested and discussed to understand unusual processes.

AB - Traditional “stack “manufacturing process (16–19th c.) of lead white pigment by lead corrosion is explored by exposing metal to acetic acid, carbon dioxide, dioxygen and water vapor. Global reaction scheme is revealed, along with stratification of corrosion products with CO2 gradient, leading to flakiness of corrosion layer. Kinetic and epitaxial features rule the polyphased structure, explaining hydrocerussite-rich compositions and absence of plumbonacrite in classical easel paintings. Microstructure of cerussite appears as a differentiation criterion between stack-made and industrial precipitation-synthesized lead whites. Particular conditions reported in ancient writings are tested and discussed to understand unusual processes.

KW - A. Lead white

KW - B. X-ray diffraction

KW - C. Carbonation

KW - C. Cultural heritage materials

KW - C. Pigment

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055913131&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.corsci.2018.10.033

DO - 10.1016/j.corsci.2018.10.033

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85055913131

SN - 0010-938X

VL - 146

SP - 10

EP - 17

JO - Corrosion Science

JF - Corrosion Science

ER -

Synthesizing lead white pigments by lead corrosion: New insights into the ancient manufacturing processes

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this