Camphor wood, a potentially harmful museum storage material: an analytical study using instrumental methods

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemistry
• Conservation Science

Background:

• Camphor wood (Cinnamomum camphora) is utilized in museums for its insect-repelling properties.
• Concerns exist regarding potential risks to collections due to the odor emitted by camphor wood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the suitability of camphor wood as a museum storage material.
• To assess the impact of camphor wood on metallic artifacts.

Main Methods:

• The Oddy test was performed on aged camphor wood samples.
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analyzed corrosion products.

Main Results:

• Camphor wood samples caused visible corrosion on copper and lead coupons.
• Terpenes and their derivatives were identified as the major VOCs emitted.
• Lead basic carbonate and copper oxide were identified as the primary corrosion products.

Conclusions:

• Camphor wood poses a risk to metallic artifacts in museum collections.
• The study provides insights into the mechanism of metallic corrosion induced by camphor wood VOCs.
• Museum curators and conservators should reconsider the use of camphor wood for storage.