The Corrosive Effect of Atmospheric Environment on Simulated Materials of Bronze Cultural Relics

Li Zhan and Yan Li Jiang

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64486/m.65.4.10
Online publication date: April 01, 2026

Abstract: This study takes simulated materials of bronze cultural relics (copper-tin alloy-plated quartz crystal oscillators) as the research object, adopts the Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) technology, and systematically investigates the effects of different temperature and humidity conditions on their corrosion. Three temperature levels (20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C) and corresponding gradient levels of relative humidity were set in the experiment. By monitoring the changes in frequency and mass of the quartz crystal oscillators, the corrosion kinetic rules were analyzed. The results show that temperature and humidity exert a significant influence on the corrosion of the simulated materials: under constant temperature, the higher the relative humidity, the thicker the water film on the metal surface, the greater the dissolved amount of pollutants, and the faster the corrosion rate; under constant humidity, an increase in temperature will accelerate the corrosion reaction, and the higher the relative humidity, the more pronounced the accelerating effect of temperature. Based on the experimental data, a classification standard for temperature and humidity levels was formulated. It is recommended that the long-term storage environment of bronze cultural relics in museums should be controlled at a temperature of (20–25) °C and a relative humidity below 60 %. The conclusions of this study provide a scientific basis for museums in tourist scenar-ios to precisely regulate temperature and humidity, optimize passenger flow management, and improve protection measures, thereby facilitating the achievement of a win-win situation for the coordinated and sustainable development of bronze cultural relic protection and the tourism industry.

Keywords: bronze cultural relic simulation materials; temperature and humidity; corrosion; quartz crystal microbalance; cultural relic protection

This article is published online first and will appear in Metalurgija, Vol. 65, Issue 4 (2026).