THE HISTORICAL IRON RESEARCH PROJECT: RESULTS OF THE FIRST PHASE OF METALLOGRAPHIC AND MICROANALYTICAL EXAMINATION OF IRON FITTINGS FROM HISTORICAL BUILDINGS
Author(s): D Starley
This report presents the initial findings of the Historical Iron Research Project which investigated 29 iron samples, dated from the thirteenth century to the end of the nineteenth century, largely from English Heritage's Architectural Study Collection. The potential for identifying the technology of production of iron artefacts was investigated through the examination of metallographic and analytical data. Compositional variations were investigated in the metal matrices using SEM based wavelength dispersive analysis, and in the slag inclusions by SEM based energy dispersive detector. This combination of data allowed the partitioning of elements between the two phases to be calculated, providing an insight into furnace conditions. The results were tested against previously suggested models for the composition of alloys for historical production processes. The report includes an archive of the metallographic data and microstructural analyses and forms a catalogue for the metallographic samples now held by the Ancient Monuments Laboratory.
- Report Number:
- 34/1999
- Series:
- AML Reports (New Series)
- Pages:
- 85
- Keywords:
- Iron
