Nuclear microprobe study of metal segregation in quaternary bronze

A quaternary bronze was prepared as part of a project for certification of reference materials, simulating the composition of archaeological artefacts . A microdistribution analysis performed with the scanning nuclear micropro be provides information about the distribution of the elements. The concept of correlation maps allowed to distinguish with high clarity the presence of compounds, consisting of several metals, in localized areas. The use of RES also yielded depth information. This allowed three-dimensional informat ion to be obtained for the intergranular space and inclusions of Pb, Zn, Mn , and Fe in a granular Cu-Sn matrix. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rig hts reserved.