• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.355-366
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• 2013

Diverse scientific analyses, including microstructure, ICP-AES, SEM-EDS, and P-XRF(Bench Top type and Gun type), were carried out on 6 bronze artefacts which handed from generation to generation. Also, we attempted to study applicability for authenticity of the bronze artefacts using scientific analyses based on the specific element. The results of ICP-AES analysis showed that the bronze were formed from an alloy of Cu, Sn, Pb with trace elements such as Ag, As, Co, Fe, but there were not Zn found. The result of P-XRF are 10~25% lower in Cu and 10~20% higher in Sn than that of ICP-AES. This is because of destannification that the compound of $SnO_2$ are present on the surface. The results of SEM-EDS represented that there is lead segregation. It was difficult to study applicability for authenticity of bronze artefact according to the microstructures and chemical components of the bronze artefacts. Therefore, as bronze artefacts have shown different corrosion materials depending on the buried environment and conserving environment, identifying the authenticity would be possible on the basis of the additional researches on the corrosion and comparative research of ancient art.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.417-425
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• 2014

Color characteristics of the Cu-Sn alloys (bronze) in as-cast conditions were determined by reference to the $L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$ color space. Results show that the values of $a^*$ and $b^*$ decrease with the increase in Sn levels, indicating that the colors of bronze alloys are increasingly away from red and yellow with the increase in the fraction of the ${\delta}$ phase while the opposite is true with the ${\alpha}$ phase. It has also been found in similar experiments with the Cu-22% Sn alloys that heat treatments in varying conditions produce subtle differences in their color characteristics as observed in the $L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$ color space, due likely to the formation of various phases in different fractions.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.110-119
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• 2015

Bronzes, Earthenwares and various artifacts were excavated from Pungnap earthen fortress in the early Baekje age in Korea. This study was performed in order to identify the manufacture technology of bronze artefacts and provenance of lead in bronzes. Microstructure and chemical composition results show that 3 of them are Cu-Sn-Pb alloys in which an intentional lead addition was carried out and one is tin bronze showing straight twin structure within crystal grains. Also $CuFeS_2$ or $Cu_5FeS_4$ was used as raw materials through the detection of S and Fe as trace elements. The lead isotope results could be matched with one of the zones of southern Korea and China on the East Asian map. This results shows that data were plotted either in zone 2 or zone 3 of the South Korean galena map. However, one of bronze artifacts was matched with the zone of Northern China.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.2
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• pp.57-68
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• 2000

This study is a scientific analysis of 12 bronze materials which were excavated from Sanoisa temple in Chongju. Analysis of crystalline shape, size and distribution of the each sample metal suggested that they can be classified as tableware(wrought), vessels for memorial service(casting) and bell bronze, which is the same result as classification based on elemental composition. Most of the tableware are forging wares with composition of 8:2:0 in Cu:Sn:Pb, and vessels for memorial service are casting wares whose composition is 7:1:2 in Cu:Sn:Pb, and bell bronze's composition is Cu:Sn:Pb = 85:10:5/9:1:0. The result clearly shows that composition is closely related with usage and manufacturing method of wares. Trace elements such as Co, Fe and As are the elements with high correlation coefficient with Cu, which means they exist as impurities in Cu, and the content of As showed an increase in the order of tableware, memorial service vessels and bell bronze. In addition, the analysis of lead isotope ratio showed that 3 bronze materials with high lead content were made from the lead coming from Japan and China. The composition of the solder was Cu:Sn:Pb = 83:12:5 where small Pb crystals were distributed evenly.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.224-233
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• 2018

Thirty-three Early Iron Age bronzes at the sites of Hoam-dong in Chungju and Cheongsong-ri in Buyeo were investigated in order to study the manufacturing technique and the provenance of lead. Chemical analysis using X-ray fluorescence showed that 33 bronzes consist of copper(Cu), tin(Sn) and lead(Pb) served as major elements. Major and minor elemental analyses by EPMA were performed on two mirrors and 2 weapons of the bronzes investigated. The results shows that bronze mirrors from Chungju and Buyeo were high-tin bronzes(> 30 wt%). And 20% of tin and 5% of lead were founded in bronze weapons. Iron, zinc, arsenic, silver, nickel, sulfur and cobalt detected in four bronzes as minor and trace elements. The four bronzes were alloyed considering their function and were not heat treated after casting due to their high tin content. Lead isotope analysis using TIMS indicates that thirty-three bronzes were distributed southern Korea peninsula except Zone 1. As a result, lead raw materials came from various regions in Korean Peninsula not from Gyeongsang-do regions. The manufacturing techniques of bronze ware generalized at this age, and bronze was produced in various sites using raw materials from various sources.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.2-9
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• 2004

This study has examined the metallurgical microstructures and alloy compositions of 3 bronze artifacts, a vessel, a spoon and a chopstick, manufactured in the Koryo Dynasty. The results show that they were made from Cu-Sn alloys whose Sn content ranges from 22 to 24% by weight. It is of significant importance to find that they were all given special thermo-mechanical treatments during their manufacturing. It has been found that the Koryo bronze workers were well aware of the mechanical properties of ${\alpha}$, ${\beta}$, ${\gamma}$ and ${\delta}$ phases that appear in the Cu-Sn alloys. Knowing how to promote or suppress the formation of each phase, they were able to find proper alloy compositions and temperatures for the high Sn alloys to be successfully forged. The present study will detail the Koryo bronze technology as estimated from the microstructures of the 3 bronze artifacts. The results of the reproduction experiments with Cu-24%Sn will also be presented to explain how the microstructures develop and to estimate the mechanical properties of each phase.

• 한국문화재보존과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.137-153
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• 2004

We have analyzed the ingredients of 17 pieces of Bronze Age bronze ware, and an additional 22 pieces of Koryo and Chosun dynasty bronze ware. We have also conducted analysis of the extraction sites where these bronze ware items were found. For analyzing the main ingredient the bronze ware items have been divided into 3 groups - Cu-Sn(70?75:20), Cu-Pb-Sn(70:10:10), Cu-Pb-Sn(60:10:20) type respectively. In tile cases of the Cu-Pb-Sn groups the division comes down to differences in the Cu content as the main component, and elements such as Ni, Fe, Co contribute as a micro ingredient. The geographical and periodic characteristics of ancient bronze ware items show that theircompositional element changes from Cu:Sn to Cu:Pb:Sn and the Cu content decreases with the period,while the Pb content increases with the period. Bronze ware items from Suchon Ri, Gongju (that were used in 3 B.C.) form very different categories from 3rd ${\~}$ 2nd B.C.. They additionally formed very different categories from those bronze ware items analyzed in this research. These bronze ware itemsare shown to be geographically close and periodically overlapped, but made of a new elemental composition. This shows an inflow of a production technical culture present in the new bronze wares. The main component content of Cu is lower, and the Co and Fe contents (as microelements) are much higher than that of other bronze ware items. Such facts showthat those bronze ware items used completely different materials from bronze ware items in other cultural areas, or that there were differences in smelting techniques In the places where ancient bronze ware items have been extracted, it is presumed that the materials originated from the southern parts of Korea andnorthern parts and southern parts of China. .As more bronze ware scientific research is compiled one can conclude that that there will be enough scientific evidence to study the Bronze Age culture of Koreasystematically.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.37
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• pp.267-284
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• 2004

As an initial step to understand the transitions in Korean bronze technology the present study has examined metallurgical microstructures of 8 artifacts excavated from the Silla Wang-Gyong site in Kyongju. Important trends have been found in alloy compositions and also in manufacturing processes. In the design of alloys, the Sn content was apparently changing toward the peritectic point, 22 mass %, of the Cu-Sn phase diagram while the Pb addition was intentionally avoided. This trend in composition was found accompanied by the introduction, subsequent to casting, of such special thermo-mechanical treatments as quenching and forging in artifact manufacture. In addition, the Sn content in alloys containing a significant amount of As was relatively low and no evidence of forging was observed in them. The use of quenching and forging and the rejection of Pb and As from alloys are all necessary requirements if the brittle nature of high Sn alloys is to be overcome in bronze working. This paper will show that the Wang-Gyong era corresponds to that of innovations leading to the technical climax in Korean bronze tradition, which has been maintained up to the present.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2000

In 1993, many bronze artifacts were excavated from the Sanoesa Temple(思惱寺), Chongju, Chungbuk. Twelve items were selected and chemically analyzed with AA Spectrometry and ICP-Atomic Emission Spectrometry. They were also observed under the optical microscopy and SEM. According to the results from chemical analysis, production method and use, these artifacts were classified into four groups: casting, wrought and welding products, and bells. Cast products, probably used for ritual, were alloy of 70% Cu, 10% Sn and 20% Pb. They showed ${\alpha}+{\beta}$ phase as a typical microstructure of casting. The ${\delta}$ phase was rarely observed due to the small amount of Sn. These artifacts included more lead than other alloys. They showed segregation like island-shape on the lead part. Wrought products used for daily too1s. were alloy of 80% Cu and 20% Sn. Since they were consist of ${\alpha}$ phase and martensite ${\beta}$ phase, it could be presumed that they were heat-treated. The production method could be identified from twinned grains in ${\alpha}$ phase. Lead was not included in because it had a bad effect to alloy. The bells were alloyed with 85% Cu, 10% Sn, 5% Pb or 90% Cu and 10% Sn. They show the dendrite structure because they were cast and alloyed with many tin. Weldinged were alloyed with 83% Cu, 12% Sn and 5% Pb. lt showed the fine dendrite structure because of fast cooling in air.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2010

A bronze dagger excavated from the historical site at Bongili in Gyeongju was examined for its microstructure and chemical compositions. The results show that it was forged out of the Cu-10 weight % Sn alloy having no lead. The application of forging in fabrication and the use of an unleaded alloy distinguish this artifact from other bronze daggers that have been reported in Korea, the majority of which were cast from leaded Cu-Sn alloys. This dagger is a rare and valuable archaeological material suggesting a unique bronze technology practiced in ancient Gyeongju area.