Monthly Archives: September 2016

The Weapons of the Terracotta Army

Due to the love of history, I assessed on the chrome plated mystery of the Terracotta army’s weapons. Qin was the first Emperor of China who prepared well for his after-life, during his sway, he built and made to order an everlasting army of 6000 soldiers, cavalry plus charioteers. This solders stood in formation, buried around the foot of his tomb to protect him for time without end.

Pit one, which is 230 metres (750 ft) long and 62 metres (203 ft) wide,[30] contains the main army of more than 6,000 figures.[31] Pit one has 11 corridors, most of which are more than 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide and paved with small bricks with a wooden ceiling supported by large beams and posts. This design was also used for the tombs of nobles and would have resembled palace hallways when built. The wooden ceilings were covered with reed mats and layers of clay for waterproofing, and then mounded with more soil raising them about 2 to 3 metres (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in) above the surrounding ground level when completed. (cc) Wikipedia

Pit one, which is 230 metres (750 ft) long and 62 metres (203 ft) wide,[30] contains the main army of more than 6,000 figures.[31] Pit one has 11 corridors, most of which are more than 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide and paved with small bricks with a wooden ceiling supported by large beams and posts. This design was also used for the tombs of nobles and would have resembled palace hallways when built. The wooden ceilings were covered with reed mats and layers of clay for waterproofing, and then mounded with more soil raising them about 2 to 3 metres (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in) above the surrounding ground level when completed. (cc) Wikipedia

What surprised me more was the bronze weapons that armed the officers, the swords that were made from them were still sharp and unchanged by the more than 2000 years that had passed since they were forgotten. Instead of the brown collusion that one would look forward to in bronze manufactured articles, the swords’ blades were shinning. The underlying principle behind this is a mystery. Analysis conducted by Chinese research institute of nonferrous metals along with Chinese Academy of geological sciences suggested that 10-15 micron coating full of chromium oxide equivalent to 2 % chromium was found that is why, for two millennia this thin coat sheltered the weapons from the negative effects of time plus chemistry. Click here for more information.

Did the very old Chinese metallurgists have chrome technologies long time ago as recommended by curators of the empire army before it was invented in the west? Was a 10 micron weakening layer of chromium oxide really sufficient to pass on anti corrosion properties? Over the superseding time did the chromium polish lose its shine as it slowly tarnished, resulting in the shinning we see? Or was there enlightenment for the spotless weapons?

During an interview with ABC documentary in the year 2003, Prof Frank Walsh, an electrochemist acknowledged that the heat from the fires along with the occurrence of carbon would have supplied a reducing environment such that chromium atoms could have roamed to the surface of the weapons. Hence they oxidized as well as created a protecting coating. Therefore, this natural clarification is reasonable because metals do disperse over time. The hilt has evidently corroded. If the slow roaming of chromium to the surface of the weapon is in charge, why didn’t this method occur in another place on the weapons? In all probability they could have derided up a solution of Cr3+ ions all along with electrode Fe atoms, in this manner plummeting themselves to Cr atoms. Apparently one cannot chrome -plate a weapon minimally by marinating it in solution of Cr3+ ions, but it does not give the impression completely without a solution that the course of action could be achieved with no an electricity make available.

Subsequently chemists, time to resurrect discussions. What do you believe is going on? Could any person come up with a way that the antique Chinese might have with intent or out of the blue protected the missiles? Or what in addition may have consequence a deterioration free blade, while the rest of the weapon is flecked.

-Nichole He

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trWGHTZ2f1I

Reference:

[geobeats]. (2012, Nov 30). Chinese Terracotta Soldiers Carried Real Weapons. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trWGHTZ2f1I.