Copper Acetate(WSDTY) compounds form a corrosion layer on the surface of the objects disfiguring the artifacts, obscuring important information, decreasing the aesthetic quality of the metals, and subjecting the objects to further physical and chemical deterioration. The depth of corrosion penetration into the object may depend on various factors, two of which are the composition and method of manufacture. The identity and concentration of alloyed elements will influence the susceptibility of the bronze to corrosion. Until the 1990s and the discovery of acetate on bronze, this blue and blue-green corrosion on copper alloys had been commonly identified as azurite (copper carbonate), chalconatronite (sodium copper carbonate) and the very common corrosion product copper chloride, often called “bronze disease”, upon examination withthe naked eye. White corrosion has often been identified astin oxide and benzotriazole.

None of these compounds derive from exposure to volatile acetic acid and, consequently, the conservation measures necessary to address the challenges of acetate corrosion have notbeen identified. They are both new and specific to acetate corrosion. Since the causes of acetate corrosion on metal are completely different from those giving rise to the previously named corrosion products, the correct identification of corrosion is of the 19utmost importance. Anunderstanding of the true nature of the corrosion products and the causes of formation is absolutely critical for the prevention of ongoing deterioration and for the protection of bronze collections.

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