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April 11, 2011

Silver Saver


Hate polishing silver? Nanotechnology could be a shining solution to tarnished silver. Conservation scientist Glen Gates at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is working on new ways to protect museum-quality silver from the ravages of time. Fine silverware and silver pieces on display at museums are exposed to air and tarnish just like our silver at home. Every time someone polishes the silver, even under the careful supervision of conservation experts, a little bit of the silver wears away. Gates and colleague, physics professor Ray Phaneuf at the University of Maryland, are working on a non-destructive method to preserve silver artifacts.

Credit: National Science Foundation


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