Research into water-soluble salts in efflorescent pottery during long-term storage in a museum

Ancient pottery stored in northern Chinese museums is apt to powder during long-term storage. A detailed investigation of the efflorescent products of such pottery was performed to shed light on the role of water-soluble salts, a type of curing-salt-laden colloidal substance that shows smooth edges and shrinkage holes containing Cl−, NO2−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, K+, Ca2+, etc., in pottery efflorescence. For comparison, recent specimens of pottery, buried soil and storeroom dust were characterised as well, demonstrating that, in this samples, water-soluble salts mainly originated from the surrounding atmosphere.