Conservation of the RMS Titanic "Big Piece": A Case Study and Critical Evaluation

Artifact Description and Recovery

The “Big Piece” was salvaged in 1998 from the Titanic wreck and includes riveted steel plates, bronze portholes, and remnants of the original paint. Its recovery provided essential material for forensic testing on the Titanic’s steel and rivets, critical in understanding structural weaknesses linked to the sinking.

 Conservation Techniques

• Desalination and Chloride Removal: Essential to preserving metal artefacts, methods included passive soaking in sodium carbonate baths, sacrificial anodes, and ultra-high-pressure water-jetting to remove rusticles and chloride ions that accelerate corrosion.
• Mechanical Cleaning and Rusticle Removal: Manual and mechanical methods removed rusticle formations (microbial colonies feeding on iron). A balance between preserving aesthetic and structural integrity required detailed rusticle crust removal without compromising the underlying metal.
• Protective Treatments: The Big Piece underwent tannic acid treatment for rust stabilization and microcrystalline wax coating to create a protective barrier, improving transport durability.

Challenges in Conservation

• Logistical Hurdles: Handling, storing, and transporting such a large artefact required specialized equipment and a commitment to periodic inspections and maintenance.
• Environmental Fluctuations: Uncontrolled environments during transport and display led to corrosion, crust detachment, and additional conservation measures. Climate-controlled conditions were later emphasized to prevent deterioration.
• Technological Advancements: Ultra-high-pressure water-jetting and experimental subcritical water treatments have emerged as potential methods to streamline the conservation of marine artefacts, though challenges remain with scaling these technologies for large artefacts.

Future Directions

Continued advancements in marine artefact conservation, like subcritical water treatments, promise to reduce the time and resources required for preservation, though practical implementation for large artefacts remains complex.