[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]Shipwrecks and Salvage > 7. Conservation >
Identify the use of electrolysis as a means of removing salt[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]
- Impregnated salts can be removed from artefacts by leaching, which involves immersion in pure water, or another suitable solution, for a certain period until the object involved is only saturated with the water or solution.
- Chlorides are difficult to remove from some artefacts, such as iron objects, by leaching, as they can be present as insoluble salts trapped in other deposits.
- Electrolysis is a more efficient method for the removal of chloride from some artefacts and involves the following in the case of iron:
- The iron artefact becomes the cathode.
- A stainless steel mesh anode is used.
- An electrolyte of dilute sodium hydroxide is used.
- Chloride ions are freed from the solids on the artefact’s surface and migrate towards the anode, removing them from the iron.
- At the anode, water oxidises to oxygen.
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