"Iron and Steel in Art" Corrosion Colourants and Conservation

Question 1

What is an iron ‘bloom’, and the materials of wrought iron

Answer 1

• mix of iron, slag and charcoal which is broken up to extract prills of iron, to be reheated and hammered together
• wrought iron has slag inclusions, magnetite, wustite and iron silicates

Question 2

The remarkable property of the iron oxide coating which develops on heating iron in a forge?

Answer 2

doesn’t impede the welding together of iron pieces, whereas copper oxide prevents copper welding entirely