Research on the degradation of ancient Longquan celadons in the Dalian Island shipwreck

Yan He,Changsong Xu,Weidong Li,Xiaoke Lu,Jianan Li

doi:10.1038/s41529-022-00217-5

Abstract

Eleven celadons with different degrees of degradation excavated from the Dalian Island shipwreck of the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368 AD) were selected, and the degradation mechanism of the ancient porcelain at marine environment was investigated. The chemical composition, microstructure, and corrosion morphology of the samples were characterized. The results showed that these celadons can be divided into two types: transparent glazes and matt-opaque glazes. The glazes are subject to the combined effects of physical damage and chemical corrosion. The glaze surface became rougher through physical impact, and the increased surface area may also promote chemical corrosion. The mutual promotion of the two effects usually leads to more serious degradation. There are two possible corrosion mechanisms, depending on the glaze microstructure. Transparent glazes may experience the process of dissolution and reprecipitation. The crystallization-phase-separation structure in the matte glaze has lower chemical stability, which can contribute to more extensive corrosion.

Highlights

Degradation of materials is a ubiquitous yet harmful complex process, the rate and extent of degradation usually depend on the composition and microstructure of the material and environmental factors[1,2,3]
Chemical compositions of the celadon bodies and glazes Chemical compositions of the body and the glaze of the 11 samples are listed in Supplementary Table 1 and Table 1, respectively
The chemical compositions of the sample bodies are similar and are consistent with the compositions of the typical Longquan celadon bodies[23], indicating that the batch of celadon was likely produced in the same kiln

Summary

Introduction

Degradation of materials is a ubiquitous yet harmful complex process, the rate and extent of degradation usually depend on the composition and microstructure of the material and environmental factors[1,2,3]. XRD (X-ray diffraction analysis) was first used to examine the crystalline phase on the glaze surface of Nos. 01, 02, and 05, and the results showed (Supplementary Fig. 3) that only diffraction peaks of quartz could be detected for No 01, and the amorphous glass phase was the dominant phase across the three samples.

Results

Conclusion