SBIR Phase I: Electrochemical Brush Patination for Outdoor Copper and Bronze Objects

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在通过开发电化学刷Patination（EBP）来开发一种新的方法来护理铜绿覆盖的铜和青铜户外雕像，雕塑和其他结构。 如果成功的话，这项技术将允许保护者和其他负责照顾铜锈物体的人修复铜锈层的小的局部损伤区域，而不会损坏周围的完整层。 剥离大部分的铜锈，就像现在对受损区域进行修复时通常做的那样，然后通过非电化学方法进行重新铜锈，可能是耗时的，昂贵的，并且可能会对要修复的物体造成损害。 该技术将使用受控的电化学，仅在受损区域生长新的铜锈层。 新的铜锈应共享视觉外观（例如，颜色、质地、厚度），并应提供与基体金属同等的防腐保护。所提出的EBP技术将为修复铜和青铜上铜锈层局部损坏区域提供一种新的改进方法。虽然这项工作的最初灵感是修复户外艺术品的愿望，但商业应用可能会扩展到任何patinized商业或私人结构，包括但不限于雕像，雕塑，建筑细节，桥梁细节等。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop a new means of caring for patina-covered copper and bronze outdoor statues, sculptures, and other structures, by developing Electrochemical Brush Patination (EBP). If successful, this technique will allow conservators and others responsible for the care of patinized objects to repair small localized areas of damage to the patina layer without damaging the surrounding intact layer. Stripping away large sections of patina, as is commonly donenow when repairs to damaged areas are effected, followed by repatination through non-electrochemical means, can be time-consuming, expensive, and potentially damaging to the object to be restored. The proposed technique will use controlled electrochemistry to grow a new patina layer only in the damaged area. The new patina shall share the visual appearance (e.g., color, texture, thickness) of the original patina layer, and shall provide equivalent protection against corrosion of the substrate metal.The proposed EBP technique will provide a new and improved means of repairing localized areas of damage to patina layers on copper and bronze. While the initial inspiration for this work was the desire to repair outdoor art objects, the commercial applications may extend to any patinized commercial or private structures, including but not limited to statuary, sculptures, building details, bridge details, etc. Repair of damaged patina on such structures is important not only for visual appearance, but also for protection ofthe underlying substrate metal from ongoing corrosive attack.