1. First step in the PROCRAFT Project on WWII Aircraft Heritage: Investigation and Conservation of the Aluminium Alloys
- Author
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Magali Brunet, Luc Robbiola, Christophe Deshayes, Elena Bernardi, Carla Martini, Cristina Chiavari, Andrea Balbo, Cecilia Monticelli, Jaromir Fiser, Tomas Vyhlidal, Jane Echinard, Élodie Guilminot, Matériaux Multi-fonctionnels et Multi-échelles (CEMES-M3), Centre d'élaboration de matériaux et d'études structurales (CEMES), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut de Chimie de Toulouse (ICT), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Travaux et recherches archéologiques sur les cultures, les espaces et les sociétés (TRACES), École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS)-Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès (UT2J), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Bologna/Università di Bologna, Università degli Studi di Ferrara = University of Ferrara (UniFE), Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), Arc'Antique, and JPI-CH
- Subjects
aluminium alloys ,[PHYS.COND.CM-MS]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Materials Science [cond-mat.mtrl-sci] ,protective coatings ,Al cladding ,aircraft heritage - Abstract
International audience; The conservation of excavated wrecks or abandoned aircraft is of cultural and historical interest. A first step in understanding the challenges posed by this type of cultural heritage and in finding solutions for its conservation is to document the constituent materials and their subsequent alterations. In the project PROCRAFT, aircraft wrecks from six nations involved in WWII were collected and then studied. Analysis of the elemental composition together with archival research allowed identification of the wrought aluminium alloys used in the non-structural and structural parts of the aircraft. Three manufacturing processes were recognised: rolling, extrusion and forging. The corrosion protection treatments applied during manufacturing of the aircraft parts were also examined, which revealed cladding with a thin aluminium foil, anodisation or the application of primer/paint. Based on typical examples of the alterations that occurred in the metal components, we demonstrate the importance of this original protection against the aggressiveness of the environment.
- Published
- 2022