The Use of Nanoparticles in Securing Cultural Heritage

The Mary Rose is a 16th century English warship that was sunk in 1545 in Portsmouth harbour, raised in 1982 and is currently being conserved prior to public display in a new custom-built museum. Like many water-logged ships the Mary Rose timbers are subject to the 'sulfur problem', namely the degradation of the wood by sulfuric acid. We are currently exploring the use of nanocrystalline strontium carbonate impregnation to neutralise the acid and to act as an alkaline reservoir to prevent further attack. Here we present some of the preliminary results in the characterisation of the materials and the effect of the treatment.